LAHORE: The headquarters of the Pakistan Hockley Federation (PHF), which just a day before was split into two factions, remained closed on Wednesday.

“We were sitting here waiting for the office to be opened. Later, we were informed by an official over the phone that the office will remain closed for two days [Wednesday and Thursday]. Therefore, we are now going back,” some of the employees of the federation told reporters in Lahore.

On Tuesday, the PHF was split into two factions after members of the Congress held fresh elections in Karachi in which Shehla Raza was elected as president of the federation in place of Tariq Hussain Bugti, who was nominated by former caretaker prime minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, and headed the other group within the PHF.

Bugti’s group — the incumbent custodian of PHF office in Lahore — is also holding its own Congress meeting in Islamabad on Thursday to get the vote of confidence. It is learnt that the present administration of the federation, fearing Shehla’s group may take the control of the PHF, kept the office doors closed.

Surprisingly, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, as PHF patron-in-chief, has not taken any action over the split within the federation of the national sport so far.

It is feared that the ongoing tussle between Bugti and Shehla groups may further worsen the crisis in Pakistan hockey, which is already experiencing an alarming decline due to lack of interest from the government and infighting between different lobbies.

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2024