PHF audit likely to begin next week

KARACHI: The audit of PHF funds will begin from next week as a high-level official of the federal government will visit Lahore to initiate the audit, ‘The News’ has learnt.
PHF had requested the government to conduct the audit either at the end of May or in next financial year.
Sources said that the audit committee appointed by the federal government recently might reach Lahore on May 25.
The government established a high-level, three-member committee last month to audit PHF’s finances.
Raqib Satti, a high-level audit officer, will visit Lahore to conduct audit of funds provided from 2008 to 2014.
The sources said that huge amounts were given to PHF when Qasim Zia was president and Asif Bajwa secretary.
Incumbent PHF president Akhtar Rasool and secretary Rana Mujahid were also part of the PHF at that time in different capacities.
Finance minister Ishaq Dar and information minister Pervaiz Rasheed have expressed concern about the financial affairs of PHF. They have said that there was misuse of funds in PHF. They expressed concern at the fact that more than Rs1 billion had been released to PHF but even then Pakistan failed to qualify for World Cup 2014 and slumped to their lowest-ever ranking.
Former hockey Olympians and local organisers had launched a country-wide campaign to get the PHF officials suspended as they believed the top ones were involved in corruption.
The federal government instead of taking any action stopped releasing the funds. Former players hailed the government’s decision to establish the audit committee and expressed the hope that a transparent inquiry would be conducted. Olympian Qamar Zia said they would wait for the findings of the audit and then respond.