ISLAMABAD, Nov 12: The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) and the national hockey federation are aiming to have additional artificial pitches installed from an amount of Rs 160 million that had initially been sanctioned for five astroturfs by the government.

The five pitches at Karachi, Quetta, Peshawar, Abbottabad and Sialkot are being installed for Rs 98 million that leaves a sum of Rs 62 million still available.

Although the PSB and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) contend that the balance be spent on procuring more pitches, the Ministry of Finance wants that money back.

“We have written to the Sports Ministry that since Rs 160 million were solely for obtaining artificial pitches, the remaining amount should also be utilised for that purpose,” Brig Arif Mahmud Siddiqui, the head of the PSB told Dawn.

In this backdrop, the secretary of the PHF, Brig Musarratullah Khan is to call on Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali soon to apprise him of the situation.

Jamali, a former chief selector and a keen follower of the game, had agreed in a meeting with PHF president Gen Muhammad Aziz last April that “as many turfs as possible” be bought. However, a formal directive from the prime minister has not been forthcoming.

Jamali was also informed that the additional pitches would be for Rawalpindi, Rawalakot and Sargodha.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf had announced the grant of Rs 160 million in February 2001.