ISLAMABAD: The Board of Governors (BoG) of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has imposed bans on Pakistan Boxing Federation (PBF) president Khalid Mehmood and secretary retired Col. Nasir Ijaz Tung, preventing them from holding any future positions in national sports federations.

The BoG has also instructed the PSB to refer the case of the aforementioned office bearers to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). This decision follows an inquiry by the Ministry of Inter-provincial Coordination (IPC) into the incident involving a Pakistani boxer who absconded in Italy in March.

The inquiry report revealed that the incident, which attracted significant media criticism “caused considerable disgrace for Pakistan” undermining trust among stakeholders and adversely affecting the opportunities for Pakistani athletes abroad.

Several boxers participated in the Italian tournament without obtaining the mandatory No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the government or the PSB.

The committee noted that the case potentially involves human trafficking and, with input from the BoG, may warrant further investigation by the FIA.

During a meeting on September 10, the BoG approved the inquiry committee’s recommendations, including the referral to the FIA, recovery of a surety bond of Rs1 million from the responsible officials, and a ban on both Khalid and Nasir from future roles in national sports federations.

Additionally, the BoG instructed the Director General of PSB to write to the FIA to verify the NOCs of all athletes claiming to represent Pakistan in international competitions, advocating for the issuance of bar-coded NOCs verifiable via the PSB website.

The BoG also recommended a permanent ban on boxer Zohaib Rasheed, who absconded in Italy, preventing him from future representation of Pakistan.

It is noteworthy that the earlier absconding of boxers Suleman Baloch and Nazeerullah in England post-Commonwealth Games adds context to the issue.

Khalid was unavailable for comment; however, Nasir, while talking to Dawn on Sunday said: “We reject the BoG’s illegal decision and will challenge it,” asserting that the PBF acted appropriately in selecting Zohaib for the event and had issued the necessary NOC.

Nasir claimed that if Zohaib absconded, it was not the PBF’s fault, suggesting that the inquiry was biased and unfounded. He further emphasised that any such incidents are individual matters and should not reflect on the federation as a whole.

Published in Dawn, September 23rd, 2024

Opinion

From hard to harder

From hard to harder

Instead of ‘hard state’ turning even harder, citizens deserve a state that goes soft on them in delivering democratic and development aspirations.

Editorial

Canal unrest
Updated 03 Apr, 2025

Canal unrest

With rising water scarcity in Indus system, it is crucial to move towards a consensus-driven policymaking process.
Iran-US tension
03 Apr, 2025

Iran-US tension

THE Trump administration’s threats aimed at Iran do not bode well for global peace, and unless Washington changes...
Flights to history
03 Apr, 2025

Flights to history

MOHENJODARO could have been the forgotten gold we desperately need. Instead, this 5,000-year-old well of antiquity ...
Eid amidst crises
Updated 31 Mar, 2025

Eid amidst crises

Until the Muslim world takes practical steps to end these atrocities, these besieged populations will see no joy.
Women’s rights
Updated 01 Apr, 2025

Women’s rights

Such judgements, and others directly impacting women’s rights should be given more airtime in media.
Not helping
Updated 02 Apr, 2025

Not helping

If it's committed to peace in Balochistan, the state must draw a line between militancy and legitimate protest.