The 1988 Seoul Olympic Games bronze medallist alleged that PBF secretary Akram Khan sent a request to the president of his boxing gym, asking him to issue an invitation to a an individual who was not a boxer.
“This obviously seems to be a case of human smuggling in which PBF secretary (Akram) is involved. That boy Muhammad Musheer is certainly not a boxer and he belongs to family of Akram's friend who lives in Hyderabad. Just imagine, a person who is not even a boxer, wants to become a professional boxer,” Hussain told Dawn.com while calling from Tokyo on Monday.
The former middleweight, who is now coaching at Kadoebi Boxing Gym, said he had intercepted the letter written by Akram through an uncle of Musheer who also lived in Japan. The Olympian said the letter was addressed to the owner of Kadoebi Boxing Gym, Shingo Suzuki, requesting him to send an invitation letter so that Musheer could apply for a Japanese visa.
“Muhammad Musheer is a good national boxer in 56kg weight category and after being inspired by Hussain Shah, he is willing to become a professional boxer in Tokyo. For this purpose, he needs an invitation letter to apply for a visa at the Japanese embassy.
“Pakistan Boxing Federation is assuring you that he (Musheer) is not only a good boxer but also a good and law abiding citizen of Pakistan,” Akram wrote in a letter to Suzuki, using PBF letterhead on Aug 7, 2010, a copy of which is in possession of Dawn.com.
According to particulars mentioned in the letter, Musheer is the son of Abdul Rasheed, his passport number isYG4100961, CNIC number is 41303-4982096-5, while he is a resident of house No 1052, Mohalla Bhai Khan Chari, Hyderabad.
“The uncle of the boy, whose name is also Akram has been living in Tokyo for quite a long time. He brought the letter and wanted to give it to president of my boxing gym but when I smelt a rat, I decided against giving this letter to Suzuki. I would have been disgraced had this boy come on my guarantee and caught for living here illegally or doing something wrong,” said Hussain.
Asghar Baloch, the secretary of Karachi South Boxing Association (KSBA), says he has never heard of Musheer as a boxer.
“I have never heard or seen this person (Musheer) in the ring in my life at any level, not even as a club boxer. In fact he is not a boxer at all,” said the KSBA official who has been quite active for a long time in the hub of boxing, Lyari.
To add injury to the wound, PBF president Doda Khan was taken aback when contacted and asked about the boxer and the letter written by his secretary. The PBF chief said he neither knew Musheer nor was he aware that Akram had used the federation's letterhead, requesting for an invitation letter for a visa from Suzuki.
Interestingly, he requested this reporter to be on line while he talked to his secretary on other phone who had the gal to admit that he did send the letter on official PBF letterhead, saying Musheer's father was his close friend and wanted his two sons to be sent abroad as boxers.
“Akram says that Musheer's father is blind and that his two sons are good boxers who want to become professional boxers in Japan,” he said.
Doda, however, said he had been embarrassed by Akram and had no words to defend himself or his secretary.
“It is indeed a very serious offence. I will certainly ask Akram for a written explanation tomorrow (Tuesday). I am really embarrassed but would be able to tell you my line of action tomorrow once I have a word with the secretary. This is no doubt misuse of power by Akram and I am really shocked how and why he used the letterhead for this activity without my knowledge.
“Being the president, I have no powers to remove him, The executive body of the federation has the powers to move a vote of no confidence against Akram, but to tell you the truth, the members will never take any action against him as they all are friends and have been together for so many years. But if anybody wants me to resign on this issue, I am ready to step down,” said Doda.
The PBF chief said whatever Akram had done was unpardonable and he had given an undertaking at a Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) meeting that he would resign if anybody from Pakistan boxing contingent vanished during an offshore tour.
“That boy (Musheer) might have disappeared after landing in Japan, creating an embarrassing situation for me and the country. If this boy proves not to be a boxer, then I will never tolerate this,” said Doda.
The PBF chief added that Hussain and Akram had been at loggerheads because the former was furious over not getting three million rupees from the PBF.
“Hussain spoke on a private TV channel that he cannot come to Pakistan because of his country, but he can come to Pakistan if Doda Khan asks him to do so. He said this because he wanted three million rupees. But PBF had told him that it will ask the prime minister to give him (Hussain) the money, he is after us. Now if the prime minister doesn't want him to give it, where is our fault,” said Doda.
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