ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Sports on Tuesday called on the Federal Sports Ministry to work out for a solution to end monopoly of ‘Qabza mafia’ who have long been working in sports federations without giving good results.

The committee, which met here at the Senate Secretariat under the chairmanship of Senator Abdul Ghaffar Quershi, has shown its concern over declining standard of sports in the country.

‘Many of the sports federations have become politicised and turned into family fiefdoms, contributing nothing towards promotion of sports yet receiving funds regularly from the ministry,’ said Senator Jahangir Badar, a PPP legislator.

Around 40 national sports federations have long been given financial support from the Sports Ministry but due to lack of coordination, poor follow-up and lose control of affairs they are not delivering good results.

‘Don’t let these sports federations become ‘qabza groups’, and ask them to draw a comprehensive road map for complete revival of sports in the country otherwise they should be sent home,’ he remarked.

The committee later formed a sub-committee to conduct a detailed investigation as to why Pakistan had failed to maintain better sports standard nationally and internationally and also to get an insight over the working of sports federations.

The federal sports secretary Anisul Husnain said, ‘The Pakistan Olympic Association is an umbrella and these federations are constituent members of the POA.’

Senators Haroon Khan and Tahir Mashhadi focused on the Pakistan Cricket Board.

‘There is complete mess at the board. Look at the way we lost against New Zealand at a neutral venue. This needs to be clarified,’ Senator Mashhadi said.

Pakistan lost the three-match One-day International series 2-1 against the Kiwis in the UAE on Monday.

Senator Haroon Khan said, ‘We have recommended that there must be change of management in the PCB but there was no action and this also needs to be looked into.’

The chairman of the committee Senator Abdul Ghaffar Khan asserted, ‘We will register our protest in the upper house if our recommendations are not adopted.’

The Senate sports committee will likely to flex its muscles against the cricket board in the upcoming session and has advised the ministry to submit a detailed report over the accounts of the PCB, recent hiring and firing of officials and expansion of the Gaddafi Stadium.