June 02, 2007	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1428

KARACHI, June 1: The Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) chairman, Anwar Chowdhry, has called an executive committee meeting on Sunday apparently with an intention to legalize mismanaged financial affairs, while a mysterious ‘amendment to the constitution’ is also on the agenda.

Chowdhry has circulated a letter dated May 15, 2007 to the executive committee members, informing them about the agenda, but surprisingly text of proposed amendment and the audit report for the year 2006 has been kept a secret. So much so PBF president, Zafar Zuberi, has also been kept in the dark about the amendment.

Zafar says he is unaware of the nature of the proposed amendment, and doesn’t mince words in saying that affairs are not being run in the manner as they should have been.

“I have not been told anything about what will be the amendment to the constitution. The PBF should have circulated the proposed amendment to the constitution to all the executive committee members which is normal procedure. Usually, documents are provided to the members so that they can study, prepare and deliberate at the meeting before a decision is taken,” Zafar told Dawn on Friday.

Asked about the audited statement of accounts, he said although he had signed the document before ratification by auditors, actually the affairs were being run by Chowdhry.

Although Zafar claimed that Chowdhry was the chairman, it is believed that he has been holding the post only on paper and post of the chairman doesn’t exist in the PBF constitution.

“I was out of country when I was made president and he (Chowdhry) became the chairman. I asked Chowdhry to provide me amended constitution which he did,” the president said, but added he did not have any idea when International Boxing Association (AIBA) was informed about the change.

“I don’t know when AIBA was told about the change and whether or not the international body has been provided a copy of the amended constitution,” he said.

It is believed that since Chowdhry has been running the affairs as its chairman since 2004, the post only exists on the PBF’s stationary and various documents being used for correspondence with different national and international sports bodies and press releases.

In all probability, since Chowdhry was deposed as the AIBA chief last year, he now wants to legally become the PBF chairman by amending the constitution and legalize his position.

While Zafar says Chowdhry is the chairman, the PBF vice-president Shah Naeem Zafar said he was not sure whether there had been any amendment to the constitution according to which Chowdhry can act as chairman.

“I can’t recall that any such amendment to the constitution was proposed at any meeting. But all I can say at the moment is that Chowdhry is being mentioned as chairman on PBF letterhead,” he said.

Chowdhry, who was the PBF president, had elevated himself as chairman three years ago in order to meet the criteria of the National Sports Policy. According to policy, president, honorary secretary and the treasurer of the federation can only hold their office for two terms, but can contest for next higher post of the federation.

While Chowdhry has kept amendment to the constitution a secret, keeping the audit report clandestine strongly indicates the PBF is desperately trying to hide skeletons in the cupboard and get approval by the members in haste. The auditors have pulled up the PBF for maintaining a secret bank account and financial mismanagement.

Naeem said he would write to the PBF to provide the details of the proposed amendment and a copy of the audit report without which he would not be able to discuss the agenda at Sunday’s meeting.

“How am I supposed to discuss sensitive issues such as amendment to the constitution and approval of audited statement of accounts when I have not been provided the documents,” Naeem questioned.

Waqar Maroof, president of NWFP Boxing Association, confirmed that neither the proposed amendment to the constitution nor the copy of audit report had been provided.

“I rang Chowdhry today (Friday) to inquire about the nature of amendment but he was not available. The PBF should have circulated the related documents including audit report to allow the members study before discussing at the meeting.”

President of the Balochistan Boxing Association Faqir Hussain said although the PBF provided the agenda, he had not received the details of amendment or the audit report.

“Habibullah Jafri will be attending the meeting from Quetta but only as joint secretary of the PBF not as a Balochistan official. I or any Balochistan official will not attend the meeting,” Faqir said, but didn’t give any reason for the decision.