ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination instructed the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to formulate rules and by-laws within 30 days and to conduct an audit of its federations.
The committee also directed the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman to ensure his presence in the next meeting to brief the members on matters of the board.
The committee met with MNA Muhammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel in the chair in Committee Room of the PSB on Tuesday.
The committee chairman expressed disappointed over the absence of the PCB chairman from the meeting and directed that he should attend the next meeting to brief the committee on the matters and issues of PCB.
A comprehensive briefing was given on the performance, operation, and coordination with 44 federations of PSB, along with football and kabaddi federations.
The committee also directed the PSB to present an appreciation award and a prize to Rameez Ibrahim for winning of the gold medal in the weightlifting competition.
The PSB director general briefed the committee that the PSB, operating under the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), continues to lead the development and promotion of sports across the country. He said that over the last five years, the PSB has trained over 4,000 athletes and 573 coaches, while facilitating the participation of Pakistani teams in international competitions, which resulted in 154 medals, including 38 gold.
“Initiatives such as the establishment of the Arshad Nadeem High-Performance Academy and the upgrading of sports infrastructure highlight the PSB’s commitment to excellence. The board disbursed grants exceeding Rs1 billion and awarded Rs45.25 million to medal-winning athletes. Hosting prestigious events like the Asian Taekwondo Championships and the West Asia Baseball Cup further underscores its dedication to promoting sports at the highest level,” he said.
The committee was also briefed on the persistent challenges faced by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), which is affiliated with the PSB, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and FIFA.
Since 2011, prolonged leadership disputes, internal conflicts, and legal battles have severely hindered the PFF’s progress. Key developments include the Lahore High Court declaring PFF elections illegal and FIFA’s subsequent establishment of a Normalization Committee (NC) in 2019 to stabilize operations and ensure transparent elections.
However, the NC has encountered repeated obstacles, such as allegations of unfair club registrations and continued internal disputes.
The crisis deepened in 2021 following a violent incident at the PFF headquarters, Football House Lahore, which prompted FIFA to suspend the federation.
While FIFA has extended the NC’s mandate until March 2024, stakeholders have expressed growing dissatisfaction, underscoring the urgent need for an independent and credible resolution. The government remains actively engaged with FIFA to address these challenges and restore stability to the PFF. Efforts are underway to rebuild trust and ensure the sustainable development of football at all levels across Pakistan.
Keeping in view the serious challenges being face by the PFF, the committee while acknowledging the PSB’s performance, despite meager budget allocations, recommended that the government may enhance the budgetary provision. The PSB DG was also directed to provide the breakup of the development and non-development budget of the PSB. The director general of the PSB was also directed to provide a detailed breakdown of the development and non-development budgets of the PSB.
The meeting was attended by Muhammad Idrees, Anjum Aqeel Khan, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed, Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob Khan Nasir, Haji Rasool Bux Chandio, Syeda Shehla Raza, Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, Muhammad Iqbal Khan and Khawaja Izhar ul Hassan along with the Secretary of IPC and heads of the attached departments.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024
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