KARACHI:
The PM’s probe committee headed by IPC secretary Ejaz Chaudhary has submitted a report after meeting with the Pakistan Hockey Federation presiden Chaudhry Akhtar Rasool, secretary Rana Mujahid, Captain Imran and former head coach Shahnaz Sheikh, regarding the poor performance of Pakistan at the Olympic qualification round.
The committee held its first meeting on June 9 where the coach and captain gave their reports and suggestions for the national game. The committee then met with the PHF president and secretary, who were also asked several questions and were expected to be asked to step down.
The committee was supposed to meet the officials, coach and captain for three days before presenting a detailed report to the PM, but only met with them for a single day.
The committee asked the officials and the captain to ensure their presence on June 10, in what was supposed to be the second day of the meeting. Sheikh, meanwhile, was not asked to join.
However, when the officials and Imran arrived at the PHF joint secretary’s office for the meeting on June 10, the committee was not there. After waiting for a few hours, they were told via text that the meeting will not take place.
A source close to the matter claimed that the committee — comprising Col (R) Mudassar, Shahbaz Senior, Khawaja Junaid and Akhtar Ganjera — mainly questioned Sheikh and Imran, while Mujahid and Akhtar Rasool were not asked many questions.
“Jamali is odds-on to become the next president and the necessary amendments could be made in the PHF constitution to pave way for him to take over the president’s office,” claimed the source.
“According to the PHF constitution and the rules of the International Hockey Federation, all office bearers in the federation have to be under 70, while Jamali is 71.”
