ISLAMABAD: Expressing its disappointment over the absence of Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Najam Sethi in the meeting on Friday, the Senate special committee, which has been assigned to examine the overall working of sports federations in the country, has directed the PCB chief to ensure his presence next time.

The special committee meeting, chaired by Senator Dr Ashok Kumar, was held here at the Old PIPS Hall of Parliament Lodges.

In the meeting, PCB chief operating officer Subhan Ahmed and adviser to Sethi, Shakil Sheikh, briefed the committee on the deployment of contractual employees in the Board.

Subhan told the committee that Sethi was to hold a meeting with the owners of Pakistan Super League (PSL) franchises therefore he was unable to ensure his presence in the Senate body meeting.

Currently, Subhan further informed the committee, in all there were 866 employees in the PCB to which the committee sought from the Board a list of those employees in the next meeting.

Subhan also informed the committee about the cricket academies in Lahore, Multan and Karachi.

“We have also signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to build an academy at the Arbab Niaz Stadium [in Peshawar],” he said.

The Senate committee also discussed cricketer Sharjeel Khan’s case to which Subhan told the committee that the batsman was found guilty by the tribunal of involvement in PSL spot-fixing scandal.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) administrator retired Justice Asad Munir also briefed the committee about the game’s affairs in the country.

He said the court had appointed him the administrator as there were two parallel groups functioning and things were not heading in the right direction.”We need funds to hold football activities in the country,” Justice Asad said.

The committee asked Asad why six out of seven PFF vehicles were still in use with the two parallel groups, and directed him to take legal route to recover the vehicles.

All sports representatives from regional boards also briefed the committee on the related sports activities at grass-roots level. The committee asked the regional boards to take precedence from the working of Punjab Sports Board to generate sports activities.

Senators including Agha Shahzaib Khan Durrani, Shibli Faraz, retired Col Syed Tahir Hussain Mashhadi, Mian Mohammad Ateeq Shaikh, Taj Haider and Kulsoom Perveen were present in the meeting.

Inter-provincial Coordination secretary Syed Abu Ahmad Akif, Pakistan Sports Board director general Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera and other officials also attended the meeting.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2018