LAHORE: While the national game of hockey continues to experience an unprecedented decline, a tussle between two officials for the key position of secretary in the Pakistan Hockey Federa­tion (PHF) intensified on Tuesday.

Haider Hussain as PHF secretary on Sunday attended a Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) meeting which had been called to collect the budget estimates of the national sports federations for hosting the 2023 South Asian Games which are yet to be held due to lack of interest from the government.

In an unusual development on Tuesday, Rana Mujahid came to the PHF headquarters in Lahore to take up the seat of secretary. The PHF offices in the provincial capital remained deserted for the last couple of months as no key official was coming with the federation having no funds to run the office.

Only regular PHF employees, mainly of lower cadre, are attending the office with the hope

that they will get some news about getting their salaries — pending for seven months — from the

federation.

“I came to the PHF headquarters on the instructions of PHF president Tariq Hussain Bugti as I am the constitutional secretary of the federation,” Mujahid told Dawn on Tuesday.

“As first Tariq was nominated as PHF president on ad hoc basis by [then PM] Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar. Later, Tariq was installed as constitutional president of the PHF by another order of the prime minister. Therefore, he [Tariq] needs a vote of confidence from the Congress,” Mujahid added.

“The only constitutional requirement is that Tariq has to get the vote of confidence from the Congress, for which a meeting is being called soon. After this the PHF will return to the right track.”

It is learnt that the Congress meeting will be held in Islamabad, most probably on March 21.

Meanwhile, in a press statement, Haider raised objections over Mujahid’s presence in the PHF office as secretary.

“I am still the PHF secretary as I got a stay order from the Lahore High Court against Brig Khokhar’s false claim that I had tendered the resignation,” Haider told Dawn.

“Mujahid has also been sacked by the PHF for holding PHF Congress meeting on Sept 8 which was the violation of the PHF Article 27.5. [Therefore] how did he assume the charge as PHF secretary?” he asked.

“I am still performing my duties as PHF secretary with the POA, Asian Hockey Federation and the International Hockey Federation,” Haider further said.

“I will file a contempt of court case against Mujahid for [his] illegal action.”

Mujahid was brought in as secretary by retired Brig Khalid Sajjad Khokhar as PHF president after Shahbaz Senior, Asif Bajwa and Haider Hussain resigned as secretaries one after the other during the past twelve months or so.

According to Khokhar, Haider had also tendered his resignation after which Mujahid was brought in as secretary, a claim vehemently denied by Haider on Tuesday.

When relations of the then PHF regime had strained relations with the federal government, Tariq Hussain Bugti was installed as the federation’s president by then caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar who asked Khokhar to leave the office, to which the latter denied and went into a court of law.

Soon after Tariq took charge, Mujahid quietly left the office as secretary and Haider resumed the office.

First, Tariq took the action and dissolved the PHF Congress to hold fresh elections at the district to national level to form a new house of the federation.

At the same time, Mujahid with Khokhar held their own Congress meeting that consisted of old members while refusing to accept Tariq as PHF president.

A number of corruption cases involving the PHF were being investigated by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for the 2008-22 period, which also included Khokhar’s tenure (2014-23).

Soon Khokhar decided to withdraw his case from the Islamabad High Court and tendered his resignation as PHF president, clearing the way for Tariq to get the hot seat. However now in a surprise move, Tariq overlooked Haider and called back Mujahid as secretary, which signified that he had decided to work with Khokhar’s personnel.

Meanwhile, Olympian Samiullah Khan met Haider and discussed ways to promote the game of hockey.

Besides Haider, former stars Hanif Khan, Kaleemullah, Nasir Ali, Wasim Feroze, Gulzar Khan were also present in the meeting.

According to a press statement, Samiullah extended his full support to Haider.

Speaking on the occasion, Hanif said that if the politicians could go to jail for committing corruption, why those PHF office-bearers who committed corruption, could not go behind the bars.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024