ISLAMABAD: The Governing Board of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has suspended an inquiry report on the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF) due to one-sided findings, declaring that a fresh inquiry committee will be formed which will be authorised to decide the matter on merit.
On the basis of one-sided inquiry report, the former PSB regime withdrew the PWLF’s affiliation with the Board. The PSB Board that met recently approved reconstituting the inquiry committee on the following pretexts. Firstly, the members of the suspended PWLF did not become part of the inquiry proceedings despite notices being issued to them and the report is ex-parte. Whereas law provides that no person can be condemned unheard, therefore a fresh inquiry may be authorised by the Board. Secondly, composition of the interim committee by the then DG was not fair as the complainant (Col (r) Dr Hafiz Zafar Iqbal) and the Secretary General of suspended PWLF (Ms Nuzhat Jabeen) were made members of the interim committee.
Thirdly, there is no provision in the PSB constitution for composition of interim committee for a sports federation. A few months back, the inquiry officer submitted a one-sided report against genuine PWLF which also proposed that; Suspended officials may be restricted/refrained from participating in any sports activity; Names of the suspended officials to be included in the Exit Control List; Coach and the chairman of the doping commission to remain suspended till the disposal of weightlifters’ cases by the ITA; Obtain an affidavit from the coach for non-involvement in violation of anti- doping rules and abiding the same in future; Weightlifter to remain suspended till expiry of period and prize money to be recovered; Expenses incurred on training camp may be recovered from the suspended officials.
However, all these findings were one-sided and against the laid-down norms as the PSB never took any such action against the AFP when athletes were found guilty of using prohibited drugs during South Asian Games held in Nepal in 2019.
On the basis of previous practice, the PSB has decided to review the PWLF suspension by constituting a fresh inquiry committee.
“Once we receive minutes of the meeting we will constitute an inquiry committee which will retake the matter and decide the case on merit,” a PSB official, when contacted, said.
Abdul Mohi Shah Abdul Mohi Shah is a senior reporter for The News