Islamabad, July 18, 2023 (PPI-OT): The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) urged the Ministry of IPC to expedite the Report of the Management Committee, constituted to finalize the recommendations in the matters pertaining to the affairs of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

2. 34th meeting of the Standing Committee was held today at 2:00 p.m. in Committee Room No. 7, Parliament House, Islamabad under the Chairmanship of Mr. Nawab Sher, MNA.

3. At the outset, the Hon. Minister for IPC informed the Committee that the recommendations of the Management Committee PHF have already been submitted for approval of the Hon. Prime Minister who is also Petron-in-Chief of PHF. He also informed that the Ministry has written a letter to the Auditor General of Pakistan for a special audit of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) for the last six months and report thereof would be shared to the Standing Committee for its review. Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA/Mover said that the PCB has been asking for the Report for the last two and a half years which has not been submitted to the Standing Committee which shows that PCB is not giving importance to the Committee

4. Upon a starred question, moved by Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA, the Secretary General, PHF mentioned that lack of funds and lack of camping are the reasons for downfall of hockey in our country. He informed that their ranking is upgraded in the world ranking from 18 to 16. He said that eight players from the junior team are now selected in the National Hockey Team and the management is working to make it better day by day. The Secretary, Ministry of IPC apprised the Committee that there is no denying fact that hockey has shown a downtrodden fall. The decline has not happened overnight, but it has spanned over the last three decades. He briefed that over 25 Synthetic Hockey Fields have been and are functional and a number of hockey turfs are also being laid down all over the country, however, Talent Hunt Programs, selection of teams and skill development etc. rest with PHF and its subsidiaries, inspite all there is no doubt that these entities have completely failed to enable Pakistan Hockey Team to compete at international level.

5. Besides the Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination, Mr. Ehsan Ur Rehman Mazari, the meeting was attended by MNAs/Members of the Committee, Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Mr. Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Ms. Shahida Rehmani, Ms. Nasiba Channa, Ms. Rubina Irfan, Dr. Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Mir Khan Muhammad Jamali, Ms. Javairia Zafar Aheer, Ms. Asiya Azeem, Ms. Wajiha Qamar. Dr. Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto, MNA/Mover was also present in the meeting. The senior officers from Ministry of IPC, Pakistan Hockey Federation and Pakistan Sports Board were also present in the meeting.

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National Assembly of Pakistan

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