ISLAMABAD: While directing the Pakistan Hockey Federation president Tariq Hussain Bugti to hold PHF elections in two months, a parliamentary panel on Tuesday asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to complete the inquiry against the game’s governing body.
A sub-committee of the Standing Committee of Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC), which met here at the IPC ministry with MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed in the chair, discussed the matter of PHF’s pending elections.
After hearing all stakeholders including representative of ministry of law, attorney general office, PHF officials and IPC ministry, the committee directed Bugti to hold the PHF elections in a couple of months.
The committee was told by law officials that Bugti’s appointment as PHF president was legitimate as interim PM Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar was authorised to nominate him. Therefore, Bugti’s appointment was not questionable but his mandate was holding the PHF elections which faced delay.
To this, the committee directed Bugti to hold the elections and he assured the committee that he would do so within the timeframe given to him.
Meanwhile, the committee also directed the Pakistan Sports Board to scrutinise clubs in collaboration with local administration and other stakeholders.
During the meeting, the FIA officials briefed the committee about the pending inquiry related to over 100 audit paras of the PHF many of which relate to alleged corruption.
The committee instructed the FIA to take steps to conclude the inquiry and its outcome be shared with the committee within two months.
The PHF elections will be held under the supervision of a PSB-appointed election commissioner. So, the POA reaction is yet to be seen in this regard.
It is relevant to note that last month, the PHF president was asked also by the PSB to justify the continued failure to conduct the body’s elections and explain his inaction over the inquiry report concerning the authorised bank accounts.
Besides other questions, Bugti was also asked to provide reasons for non-submission of the statements of all PHF bank accounts, disclose tour expenditure of all office-bearers of the governing body during the last one year and its source of funding.
Details about the PHF income including the portion coming through rented property and its utilisation was also sought from the president, who was also asked to justify the “unauthorised perks, and administrative expenditure drawn by PHF office-bearers”.
After a previous committee meeting, Bugti had told reporters that he would provide complete details of PSB letters.
“Hockey is our national game and it deserves special attention. Today, three major decisions are made by the sub-committee – elections of PHF within two months, early completion of [the] FIA inquiry and scrutiny of all hockey clubs,” said MNA Anjum Aqeel Khan, a member of the subcommittee.
Speaking to Dawn, Anjum said that the committee earlier played a main role in the elections of the Pakistan Football Federation.
“Now we will ensure timely and transparent elections of the hockey federation also, as [the] national game is very close to my heart and we will leave no stone unturned for the betterment of hockey,” he said. “Things are on track and we will ensure PHF elections are held in a transparent manner.”
Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2025
