ISLAMABAD: Following the government’s demand, a parliamentary panel on Monday also called for Pakistan Olympic Association president retired Lt Gen Arif Hasan to resign from his post due to Pakistan’s disappointing performance at the recently-concluded Tokyo Games.

The 71-year-old Arif has been the country’s Olympic chief since 2004, during which Pakistan has failed to win a single medal at the Games and the National Asse­mbly Standing Committee on Inter-provincial Coordination headed by MNA Nawab Sher said it was time for him to go after it met here at the parliament house.

“The Committee unanimously recommended that the services of POA president may be withdrawn because of poor performance and his controversial election as soon as possible and directed to make changes for the betterment of sports at the earliest,” read an official press release issued by National Assembly Secretariat after the meeting.

Last week, Special Assistant to Prime Minister Imran Khan Dr Shahbaz Gill held a news conference in which he demanded Arif to offer his resignation. The POA has not responded to the demand so far.

The committee also recommended that “all sports federations must be accountable for foreign and local funding before the committee and Ministry of IPC”.

During the meeting, the IPC minister Dr. Fehmida Mirza informed the committee that the last National Sports Policy came in 2005 therefore new policy was the need of the time and input of the committee will be incorporated. She further informed the committee that after approval of the Cabinet, new policy will be shared.

The committee also recommended that the chief ministers of all four provinces may be requested to provide two acres land in every village for the sports and directions in this regard may be forwarded to concerned District Coordination Officers (DCOs). The Committee also recommended that talented children in sports may be provided jobs.

Published in Dawn, August 17th, 2021