ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take part in the upcoming season of the FIH Pro League with a parliamentary panel informed on Monday that the federal government has agreed to release Rs250 million for the event.

Issues related to the Pakistan Hockey Federation came under discussion during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination here at the Parliament House with MNA Mohammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel in the chair.

During the course of the meeting, IPC secretary Mohyuddin Wani informed that the Ministry of Finance had confirmed that it will provide Rs250m to ensure Pakistan’s first-ever participation in the Pro League.

Wani added that while the PHF had demanded Rs350m, the government had said that the country’s hockey governing body should arrange the remaining amount through sponsorship.

He later told Dawn that funding would not be handed directly to the PHF but instead the Pakistan Sports Board will oversee it to ensure transparency.

Pakistan had been invited by the International Hockey Federation to participate in the Pro League after Nations Cup winners New Zealand, who beat the national side in the final, withdrew due to financial constraints.

It offered Pakistan the opportunity to play against the world’s top sides but with relations between the PSB and the PHF having been soured over the latter’s lack of accountability there were question marks over whether the government will ensure funding.

The committee also raised question marks over the legitimacy of incumbent PHF management as President Tariq Hussain Bugti was appointed by the interim prime minister.

The committee decided that inputs from the law secretary and Attorney General of Pakistan should be taken to ascertain if the interim prime minister was mandated to remove or appoint anyone as PHF chief.

Allegations against the PHF chief and secretary Rana Mujahid have been levelled by several Olympians, while MNA Shehla Raza, attending as a special invitee, stated that 100 audit paras related to corruption against the PHF are pending and the Federal Investigation Agency should complete this probe.

Tariq was recently asked by the PHF to justify the continued failure to hold PHF’s elections and explain his inaction on the inquiry report concerning the authorised bank accounts.

Details over the PHF’s income, including that through rented property and its utilisation, were also sought from the president, who was asked to justify the “unauthorised perks, and administrative expenditure drawn by PHF office bearers”.

Bugti told reporters following the committee meeting that he will provide complete details.

After hearing all stakeholders, a sub-committee under the convenorship of MNA Sheikh Aftab Ahmed was formed to examine the legal status of the PHF as well as the issues related to financial irregularities.

The sub-committee will be assisted by the Secretaries of the Ministry of Law and IPC, the Director General, Pakistan Sports Board, a representative from the Office of the Attorney General, as well as the president and secretary of the PHF.

Published in Dawn, August 26th, 2025