ISLAMABAD: Hurling serious allegations of financial corruption and gross mismanagement at incumbent management of the Pakistan Hockey Federation, secretary of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Hockey Association Zahir Shah on Wednesday appealed to the prime minister to intervene in order to save the dwindling national game.

Flanked by PHF vice-president Saeed Khan and other representatives of the KP Hockey Association here at a local hotel in a press conference, Zahir alleged that when he started highlighting the financial embezzlement in the affairs of PHF, its president retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and secretary Shahbaz Ahmed Senior formed parallel bodies to weaken the KP association.

“There has been no audit of a whopping Rs500 million. Furthermore, the PHF has withdrawn substantial amounts of cash [from its accounts without due procedure], which is illegal,” Zahir said at the presser, adding that Rs5 million were withdrawnin the name of“Affective Media” about which he said nobody knows.

Zahir said that he had already filed a case in the Peshawar High Court against what he termed financial corruption and irregularities in the PHF.

Interestingly, Olympian Khalid Bashir and Khawaja Junaid were also present on the occasion but they didn’t share the stage with Zahir.

“Out of 14, 12 representatives of the congress from KP are with me,” revealed Zahir. “A two-third majority is present [even] at this press conference,” he said while adding that only two members didn’t turn up because of personal reasons, but they have fully backed him (Zahir).

“These [KP representatives of PHF congress] were the individuals who gave the vote of confidence in favour of Brig Khokhar when he was nominated as [PHF] president; these were the people, who voted for Shahbaz for the position of secretary,” Zahir said in an aggressive tone while lamenting that incumbent PHF management had miserably failed to bring about any visible improvement in national hockey team’s performance.

“Pakistan conceded two defeats [in one tournament] at the hands of a team ranked 17 in the world! Is this [the] performance of Shahbaz?” he asked.

Just to quell the voice of KP Hockey Association, Zahir alleged, the PHF didn’t invite Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s “genuine” representatives to the congress meeting scheduled to be held in Islamabad on Thursday.

Underlining the alarming state of affairs of Pakistan hockey, Zahir requested Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, who is also patron of the PHF, to intervene.

“The prime minister should take notice of this [poor] situation of Pakistan hockey,” he said, emphasising that the PHF by not inviting the genuine people of KP (somewhat) undermined national integration as KP is a province of Pakistan and the PHF is the national federation of the country, not a personal property of a few individuals.

The individuals, present at the press conference, were those who elected Shahbaz Senior as PHF secretary, Zahir said. “We are genuine but Shahbaz in a bid to hide his corrupt practices is targeting us,” he alleged.

“Khyber Pakhtunkhwa politicians belonging to various parties will raise the issue in parliament as to why KP [representatives] were not invited for the PHF congress meeting of PHF,” disclosed Zahir.

It is relevant to mention here PHF suspended KP Hockey Association secretary Zahir for his ‘unwarranted’ activities.

“Zahir, the KP Hockey Association secretary and Peshawar’s representative to the PHF, has been suspended from any hockey-related activities by the PHF, taking a serious notice of his unwarranted activities in KP hockey affairs,” read a PHF press release issued on Nov 2.

When contacted, PHF secretary Shahbaz Senior said the federation didn’t invite Zahir and some others to the congress meeting because their opponents, who claim they are enjoying majority, and Zahir-led group had filed cases against each other.

“Since the matter is sub judice we did not invite Zahir and some others [to the congress meeting],” Shahbaz told Dawn, adding that one, Sardar Waseem, has been claiming that he is genuine secretary of KP. “To avoid any controversy the PHF didn’t invite them.”

On the corruption charges, the PHF secretary said all were baseless.

“We will provide complete details of our accounts and expenditure before the congress on Thursday [today],” Shahbaz said and added that ‘Affective Media’ was a marketing company, not national media. “We made [some] investment with this company under an agreement,” he said.

“Zahir has remained with the KP Hockey Association for the last 26 years. When the PHF tried to bring improvement in hockey structure of KP, he [Zahir] started leveling baseless allegations against the federation,” concluded Shahbaz.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2018