Speaking to Dawn a day after PHF President Qasim Zia announced the 18-member Executive Board, a few Olympians pointed out how a board should be formed and run in their opinion.
“The technocrats in the board should be given equal powers like any other elected board member,” said one former national team captain.
“Also the extent, for which the board is formed, be it one year, two or three years, should be decided at the time of formation. Dissolving the board at the drop of a hat or whenever you want to eliminate the critical voices within it should not be allowed,” he added.
The PHF Executive Board had suddenly been dissolved the day the former Olympians came together to hold a well-attended press conference to talk about their grievances with the workings of the federation at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on March 18.
Sources say that the move was made to avoid further embarrassment when it was feared that two members, namely, Islahuddin Siddiqui and Shahbaz Ahmed Senior, may tender their resignations from the board on the day.
Another former hockey great added “Also any issue, big or small, must be discussed by the complete board as the board should be the ultimate authority to decide all issues. Forming sub-boards to decide any matter, while taking it to be of little significance is not on.”
And joining the chorus demanding the sacking of PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa, yet another yesteryear hero declared “There is no place for the federation's secretary within the Executive Board.”
He continued “The position of PHF secretary is honorary. He should be going about his job like any other office secretary instead of poking his nose into everybody's business. The secretary also has no place in the selection committee or any other committee that the federation or board may form.
“We expect this of the Executive Board for it to function in a fair, impartial and transparent way. The inclusion of PHF Secretary Asif Bajwa in the Board is not right. We are not getting personal here. We are just talking of what's right and what's not,” he concluded.
The PHF Executive Board will hold its first meeting in Lahore on Monday.
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