Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while advising to shut down investigations against Pakistan Sports Board Director General Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera, has given free hand to Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada either to make fresh appointment or restore Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera on the responsible slot.
Official sources in Establishment Division (ED) on condition of anonymity informed Pakistan Today that investigations started against DG Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera has been stopped on the advice of PM Nawaz Sharif. They said the PM has given full powers to the minister for inter-provincial coordination to run the affairs of the ministry.
The sources further said that the Establishment Division while closing the investigation against the DG has sent back an important file of the case to the Ministry Of Inter-Provincial Coordination.
Interestingly, a powerful bureaucrat of the incumbent regime Fawad Hassan Fawad, Principal Secretary of the PM, has to bow first time before a minister during the last four years. He, however, has obeyed the advice of the premier and issued instructions to Establishment Division to close the case against Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera.
The allegations leveled against DG Pakistan Sports Board Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera included financial irregularities in connection with the renovation work of Liaqat Gymnasium and different sports events organized by the board. Also, delay in extending financial assistance to a boxer Muhammad Wasim who belongs to Balochistan and causing unwarranted expenditures and bringing bad name to Pakistan by managing the nominations of several irrelevant persons as part of the Pakistan contingent to various international sports events abroad.
Official sources further said that since Riaz Pirzada was the president of Pakistan Sports Board, so removal of Pakistan Sports Board DG was not possible without getting the approval of president of the Sports Board as per rules. They said the Establishment Division has closed the investigation against Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera after a successful deal with Pirzada. And, now after the deal, the minister, as per his sweet will, will now decide either to restore Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera on the top position or make new choice for the said slot, they added.
Sources also told that affairs of Pakistan Sports Board had badly suffered in the absence of Minister Riaz Hussain Pirzada and Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera mainly because Joint Secretary Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry, Khial Zad Gul was given additional charge of Sports Board DG. And, Khial Zad Gul despite taking monetization allowance has been using the official car with registration number GF 796.
Khial Zad Gul has also allegedly stopped payments to daily wage employees of the board and he has made necessary preparations to make new appointments on contracts. They said acting DG of the Pakistan Sports Board has initiated decoration of the sports wing office with the funds of Ministry Of Inter-Provincial Coordination, which was the violation of set rules in this regards. Furthermore, private persons have started to stay in the hostel of Pakistan Sports Board. The minister for inter-provincial coordination is annoyed and has continuously been monitoring the situation very deeply, they said.