ISLAMABAD: A National Assembly panel, on Tuesday, expressed serious concerns over the recent elections of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) and directed the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination to conduct a thorough audit of the funds provided to the PHF as sports grants.
The National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) met with MNA Nawab Sher in the chair and discussed the affairs of the PHF and other sports federations.
Discussing the agenda item with regard to the PHF, the committee while expressing serious concerns over the PHF elections, directed the ministry to conduct a thorough audit of the funds provided to the PHF as sports grants and to submit the audit report be submitted to the committee for its review.
The committee emphasized that the report of the management committee constituted to finalise the recommendations in their matters pertaining to the affairs of PHF, should be submitted to the Prime Minister as soon as possible.
The committee also directed the secretary Ministry of Interior and the director general Federal Investigation Authority (FIA) to enforce strict measures and not to allow any sports federation to leave the country unless they acquire a no objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of IPC and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).
Ministry of IPC Secretary Ahmad Hanif Orakzi informed the committee that many audit paras are pending in Public Accounts Committee (PAC) against the PHF.
The PHF Secretary, Haider Hussain,told the committee that the elections were conducted according to PHF Constitution, however, International Hockey Federation allegedly granted permission to the PHF to proceed with the election.
Minister for IPC Ehsanur Rehman Mazari pointed out that the prime minister had constituted a high-power committee on the affairs of PHF under the chairmanship of Minister for Defence along with Minister for Economic Affairs Division and Minister for IPC.
He said that the committee recommended to conduct financial audit of accounts of PHF by Federal Audit and Performance Audit by the Management Committee headed by Director General PSB.
He added that the said management committee, unanimously, recommended that the prime minister being the patron-in-chief of PHF may call for a free and fair election of PHF and may nominate an interim committee for at least six months.
The Standing Committee, however, emphasized that the report of the management committee should be submitted to the prime minister as soon as possible.
The committee also directed the Ministry of IPC to conduct a thorough audit of the funds provided to the PHF as sports grants and the audit report should be submitted to the Standing Committee for its review.
While briefing on the National Sports Policy 2022-2027, the Minister for IPC informed the committee that the draft of said Sports Policy is under consideration with the Federal Cabinet for its approval.
The committee urged the minister to expedite the National Sports Policy 2022-2027 from the federal cabinet in order to ensure transparency, accountability, and fair governance within the realm of sports in Pakistan.
Besides the Minister for IPC Ehsanur Rehman Mazari, the meeting was attended by Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Shahida Rehmani, Rubina Irfan, Makhdoom Syed Samiul Hassan Gillani, Javairia Zafar Aheer, Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, and senior officers from the Ministry of IPC, Pakistan Olympic Association, PHF, Pakistan Sports Board, and Pakistan Football Federation.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2023