PHF writes, withholds reply to HI offer

KARACHI: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) has requested the Ministry for Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) and National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to nominate one official each for a four-member committee to have an effective check on its expenditure, PHF said in a statement on Monday.
President PHF Akhtar Rasool said that PHF had joined hands with the NAB to stop corruption.
Pakistan hockey team, alongwith PHF president and team officials, joined a walk held in Islamabad on March 30 in this respect.
He said that he had requested the authorities to form PHF expenditures committee to examine and monitor expenses of the PHF as laid down in its financial rules.
PHF secretary general would head the committee.
He said that the presence of a NAB director in the committee would enhance its credibility.
Surprisingly, the PHF did not respond to the Hockey India (HI) offer to help it financially for the qualifying round of Rio Olympics, scheduled to be held in June in Belgium.
A PHF meeting was held on Monday but no mention was made in the statement of the Indian offer.
The formation of the committee seems to be a response of information minister Pervaiz Rasheed’s statement that more than Rs1 billion had been given to PHF during last five years.
A number of former hockey players have reservations about releasing more funds to the PHF.
Informed sources told ‘The News’ that Akhtar and PHF secretary Rana Mujahid thoroughly discussed the offer of HI and its consequences, and a brief draft had also been made to be sent to HI, but at the eleventh hour PHF officials decided not to send it.
It was decided that Rana would address a press conference in Lahore on Tuesday (today) about the PHF response to HI.
The PHF’s opponents said they were looking at the issue closely and waiting to see the response of PHF. They said they had decided to launch another campaign for an ad hoc setup for PHF to save the national game.