ISLAMABAD: The members of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) Wednesday were highly concerned by the decision of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to rehire an alleged betting company for the series against New Zealand.
Shahida Rehmani raised the question as to why the PCB has rehired the company after the assurance by Management Committee chairman Najam Sethi not to hire it for the future events.
“They earlier had taken the company out of the PSL sponsorship but again they rehired it for New Zealand series and it is a matter of serious concern for us. The PCB must be questioned on this breach,” she said.
NA Committee chairman Nawab Sher directed the concerned to take up the matter with the PCB as to why the board had rehired the company against early assurance.
“Such an act will bring a bad name for the country. The PCB promised us not to hire the company again but contrary to that promise they rehired the company involved in betting,” the committee chairman said.
The NA Committee also directed the Ministry for IPC to initiate an inquiry as why the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee (NC) continuously ignoring the law of the land where it is prerequisite for all the federations to get NOC before sending teams abroad.
“No such NOC was issued to the NC,” acting Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Mohammad Ibrar said. “The ministry and the PSB must initiate an inquiry against the NC on these breaches including its inability to seek NOC from the government, allegation that a dual nationality holder is heading the NC who has no stakes in the country and women’s team was selected without conducting any countrywide trials.”
All the members present including MNA from Balochistan Rubina Irfan were furious at the NC’s continuous occupation of the Football House without conducting elections for which they were given the mandate.
“Haroon Malik and all the NC members must be summoned as to why they are reluctant to hold PFF elections. They were given the mandate to hold free and fair PFF elections which they are deliberately not doing for the vested interests. The NC should also be asked to submit details of their expenditures and grants it received from the FIFA and Asian bodies and the salaries they are drawing on monthly basis,” Rubina said.
She added that they were paying no heed to all the reminders from the government and the NA Committee.
“The NC is only there because of the Pakistan flag and they will have to honour the law of the land," she said.
The NA Committee has also called a three-member Committee formed by the prime minister on the Pakistan Hockey Federation’s (PHF) affairs. Shahnaz Sheikh, Akhtar Rasool and Islahuddin Siqddiqui will be called in the next meeting after Eid-ul-Fitr to update the committee on the progress they made to restructure PHF.
Abdul Mohi Shah Abdul Mohi Shah is a senior reporter for The News