KARACHI Controversial former Pakistan hockey goalkeeper Mansoor Ahmad is once again in hot water after being suspended as Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) academy coordinator for seeking US visas to feature in a tournament without receiving permission.
The PHF has issued show cause notices to the former goalkeeper as well as Zahid Afzal, who is associated with junior team as coach, junior team doctor Asad Abbas and international umpire Zulfiqar Haider.
Sources told Dawn.com all four officials were among the squad that was scheduled to participate in the California Cup which is to be held from May 22 to 25 at Moorpark College campus in Los Angeles. The PHF, however, issued letters to the quartet, asking why they tried to participate in the tournament abroad without the PHF's approval.
Altogether some 12 people, including the four officials and Pakistan players, Abu Bakar and Yasir Islam, have been issued five-year multiple US visas for four-day event.
The tour has been arranged by Zulfiqar through California Cup chair Billy Ahluwalia and tournament director Ravi Kanwal. The participants were to bear their travel expenses for the event, also known as Cal Cup, which offers $5,000 cash prize for the winners.
Sources said that initially Pakistan women's team coach, former international Ikhlaq Ahmad, was supposed to travel along with the group, but when he didn't submit his passport, Zulfiqar asked Mansoor to accompany the team as coach.
Mansoor, a former Customs official, has been involved in number of controversies in the past. He was suspended as junior team coach some eight years ago and later sacked by the then PHF officials when he was arrested for stealing silver in huge quantity from a Customs warehouse, a charge for which he was later convicted.
The PHF took action against the goalkeeper since he is also a paid coach, getting around Rs25,000 monthly.
Zulfiqar, however, claims that all the cases were genuine and no 'illegal visa' had been obtained for the US.
'I never went to seek visas for myself as I already had five-year multiple US visa. I can say with full confidence that all the 12 people are genuine and that this is not a case of human trafficking,' sources quoted Zulfiqar as saying.
Interestingly, it has been recently revealed that PHF secretary Asif Bajwa had also sought German visas for his wife, son and an unknown individual through a PHF letterhead for Hamburg Masters last year.
While there are reports that several groups having non-genuine persons had sought visas for the US and Europe in the past, former PHF secretary Brig Musarrat Ullah Khan had also been at the centre of human smuggling scandal during his tenure.
Ikhlaq claimed he and junior team doctor opted not submit passports when they realised that Zulfiqar had not sought permission from the PHF.
'Initially, Zulfiqar told me that he had taken permission from the PHF, but when later it was revealed that PHF is unaware of the programme, I refused to go with the squad. Zulfiqar also bluffed me, saying that PHF secretary had talked to the organisers.'
'But when Asif talked to the organisers on phone and they confirmed that Asif never spoke to them, Zulfiqar was apologetic. As a result, Asif has now confiscated the passports of those who have US visas stamped. In fact it was Mansoor who went to embassy and recommended people for visas. But Asad Abbas is not suspended as he doesn't have the visa,' Ikhlaq claimed.
Ikhlaq said astonishingly the US embassy snubbed PHF when asked why visas were issued without federation's No Objection Certificate. The US embassy said it didn't need 'approval' to issue visas in this case, Ikhlaq added.
Interestingly, when contacted the PHF president Qasim Zia was not aware about Mansoor's suspension.
'These are administrative matters and secretary deals with them. He can better comment on that,' said Qasim.
Asif was, however, not available for comments.
