ISLAMABAD: Expanding the scope of its ongoing probe into the affairs of Pakistan Sports Board, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has directed the PSB to furnish details of the development projects undertaken and completed by the Board from 2008 to 2018, Dawn has learnt.

A NAB letter (date April 13, 2018), addressed to the PSB, available with Dawn sought complete details of the development schemes, PSB membership forms for national players, general public and students of the last ten years.

The anti-graft watchdog is also looking for details of the foreign visits made by various sports teams during the last ten years.

According to the letter, the PSB has also been directed to submit the copies of Sports Ordinance 1962, Pakistan Sports Board Rules 1983 and National Sports Policy 2015.

Sources in the PSB confirmed to Dawn that NAB, which earlier intended to investigate the PSB affairs of the last four years, has expanded the scope of its inquiry and is now seeking details of the development projects of the last 10 years.

Here it is relevant to note that NAB a couple of months ago had started a probe against the Minister for Inter-provincial Coordination Riaz Hussain Pirzada and then PSB director general Dr Akhtar Nawaz Gangera over allegations of corruption and misuse of authority.

Taking notice of alleged corruption in the PSB, NAB chairman had ordered DG NAB Rawalpindi to investigate allegations of corruption in various PSB departments, misuse of funds provided to different national sports federations and a number of development projects including Narowal Sports City and Liaquat Gymnasium.

Recently, PSB’s current director general Aamir Ali Ahmed decided to hold a special audit of the controversial 2017 Quaid-i-Azam Inter-provincial Games organised by the PSB at Islamabad in December.

In these Games, the PSB spent over Rs130 million. However, there were allegations regarding misuse of tax payers’ money during the national extravaganza.

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2018