ISLAMABAD: A number of prominent former players and National Assembly member Shehla Raza on Tuesday requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to intervene in order to ensure free and fair elections of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF).

Addressing a media conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad, Shehla alongside Pakistan’s former stalwarts including Shehnaz Sheikh, Samiullah Khan, Waseem Feroz, Haider Hussain, Shakeel Abbasi, Nasir Ali, Ayaz Mahmood, and Naim Akhtar said that PHF president Tariq Bugti was appointed by the prime minister for scrutinising clubs and holding the elections.

However, the participants of the presser said, instead of holding elections Bugti got himself elected as PHF president.

“Fresh elections should be held without any involvement of Bugti,” they insisted. “In this regard all active [hockey] clubs should be given [the] voting right while action should be taken against bogus clubs.”

The participants further said that there was a need to appoint an ad hoc set-up for holding the elections.

Pointing out the audit paras against PHF officials, which were still pending, Shehla stated that “those involved in corruption are responsible for the downfall of Pakistan hockey”.

Expressing their strong concerns over alarming decline of the national sport, all the former players emphasised that the PM should intervene to properly handle the PHF matters.

“Hockey is the pride of the nation but [unfortunately] corruption and mismanagement have reduced the standard of the game and now Pakistan stands nowhere in the world,” they lamented and voiced their concerns over the ongoing scrutiny process of clubs.

“Without genuine scrutiny, free and fair elections can’t be held.”

It is relevant to note here that the National Assembly Standing Committee some months ago had directed Bugti to hold PHF elections within two months. The committee had also asked the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to complete its inquiry against the game’s governing body.

After hearing all stakeholders including representative of the ministry of law, attorney general office, PHF officials and IPC ministry, the committee directed Bugti to hold the federation’s elections in a couple of months.

In the same meeting, FIA officials briefed the committee about the pending inquiry related to over 100 audit paras of the PHF many of which related to alleged corruption.

The former players also claimed that PSB’s policy on clubs’ scrutiny was still unclear, noting “the PHF is issuing its own notification while the PSB is issuing a separate letter”.

PHF CLARIFICATION

Meanwhile, the PHF through an official letter clarified that its letter related to the scrutiny of clubs caused confusion among stakeholders.

“It is hereby clarified that no scrutiny of hockey clubs is being carried out by the PHF independently and any schedule circulated in this regard shall not be acted upon,” the letter said.

“The PHF affirms that the process of the scrutiny of clubs shall be conducted strictly in consultation, coordination and under the supervision of the Pakistan Sports Board as already decided,” read the PHF letter, which was addressed to PSB director general and all affiliated units.

It further said: “A consolidated and official schedule for the scrutiny of clubs shall be issued jointly by the PSB and the PHF, and [it] will be circulated in advance to all concerned.”

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2026