Vice President Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Syeda Shehla Raza has dispelled the impression being created recently that the incumbent management of the federation was an occupant body.
In a video message issued on Monday, shehla said that she was sure that Minister for Defence Khawaja Muhammad Asif had not been given a true picture of the affairs of the federation.
“Certainly, someone has not given him an honest and true briefing. The PHF is an elected body. Its office-bearers were elected after a proper process. The president was elected for a second term as per the PHF constitution,” she said.
She said the PHF office-bearers should be called to a get a briefing on the matter. “We should be called as of which tenure’s audit is being done. Only then it should be concluded whether the members of the committee are right or not.”
Shehla, who is also Sindh Minister for Women’s Development, said that she was pleased that the federal government was taking interest in the national game of hockey and had formed a committee. “But before constituting this committee, it would have been better to see for what purpose the PHF had formed its own committee.”
It may be mentioned that a PHF committee had imposed lifetime ban on former Olympian and then manager of the team Khawaja Junaid for surprisingly allowing 12 players to play in an Asia Cup match against Japan, resulting in Pakistan’s ouster from the Men’s Hockey World Cup.
Shehla said the PHF would always support the government to eradicate corruption and conduct money and performance base audit for the last twenty five years.