PSB suspends PHF officials in renewed attempt to conduct polls

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) suspended all office bearers of the country’s hockey federation on Wednesday in order “ensure fair and transparent elections” of the body.

The Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) elections have long been pending and its incumbent president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar had come under the PSB’s scrutiny last year for failing to conduct the body’s polls.

The PSB had even constituted a committee to run the PHF and carry out the elections before Khokhar went on to hold polls on his own to put the controversy to bed. However, after less than a year, the PSB has returned to haunt Khokhar and his fellow PHF officials again.

“To ensure fair and transparent elections of the PHF, the current office bearers (management) of PHF are herby suspended,” a notification issued by the PSB’s assistant director said on Wednesday.

According to the notification, the Prime Minister’s office has given the PSB the mandate to start the election process.

“The Prime Minister Office has conveyed the scrutiny of the hockey clubs and electoral college may be conducted at the earliest under the supervision of PSB,” said the document. “It has further been conveyed that fair and free elections of PHF may be conducted under the supervision of PSB as per rules and after observation of all codal and procedural formalities.”

The PSB, however, has spared the national hockey team’s selection committee and management staff to allow them to continue performing their duties to help the side prepare and participate in upcoming events.

“These measures aim to facilitate a conducive environment for the conduct of free and fair elections of PHF,” read the PSB letter.

Outgoing prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, days before leaving his office, had approved the recommendation of a special committee formed by him on the affairs of PHF.

A letter issued by Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination dated August 8, had stated that the premier had seen and was “pleased to approve the recommendations [of the special committee]”.

The letter said that a reference containing to audit paras of previous years in respect to PHF may be sent to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for investigation.

It said that PM had also approved the recommendation for the scrutiny of the clubs and the electoral college and free and fair elections of the PHF under PSB.

Khokhar and PHF secretary Haider Hussain, who according to the PSB have been suspended along with other office bearers, did not immediately respond to Dawn’s requests to comment.

However, an official handling media affairs of the PHF said that the PSB had nothing to do with the affairs of PHF, which is an autonomous body affiliated with International Hockey Federation (FIH) and the Pakistan Olympic Association.

“I fail to understand that under which law the PSB can take action against the elected body of the PHF,” he told Dawn, adding that the federation will respond to the PSB.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2023