ISLAMABAD, July 3: Pakistan hockey secretary Brig (Retd) Musarratullah Khan told the National Assembly Standing Committee on Culture and Sports Monday that he will not run for a new term.

"I will not be a candidate for the next term," Musarrat disclosed after facing a volley of critical questions from the house that had in attendance quite a few former Olympians besides the MNAs.

The meeting of the committee chaired by MNA Rai Azizullah Khan, discussed the reasons behind Pakistan's fifth-place finish at the Azlan Shah Tournament and the preparations for this fall's World Cup.

Musarrat was at the receiving end of all the criticism but defended himself and the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) well while admitting responsibility for the national team's poor performance.

He stressed that the credibility and credentials of individuals levelling allegations against him and the PHF should also be considered.

The secretary whose second term expires later this year pointed out that people accusing the PHF of wrong-doing were those who were no longer in the thick of affairs.

"As long as these people were in the main-stream, all was well and now when they are out they begin to point fingers at the federation."

Further elaborating his point he said that as coach of the team for over a year, ex-Olympian Hanif Khan's performance had been poor. Similarly Musarrat named some other Olympians who had handled the national side in the past but had failed to deliver.

Hanif, Islahuddin Siddiqui and Samiullah Khan were the former Olympians attending the meeting as was current coach Asif Bajwa and president of PHF Tariq Kirmani.

Musarrat said that with the elections of the International and Asian Hockey Federations falling this year, he was striving to have things in order.

"If we do not have our house in order what kind of an impression can we make on the international forum," he asked.

Two former secretaries of NWFP and Punjab Hockey Associations Zahir Shah and Salim Nazim hurled allegations of corruption against the PHF.

Zahir alleged that Musarrat had claimed $4000 as TA/DA for the Champions Trophy in Cologne but never actually went there, a charge that was promptly denied.

Coach Bajwa, presented a report on the team's performance and said that the showing at the Azlan Shah event should not be a cause for concern.

"Our eventual goal is to win the World Cup and all our efforts at this point of time are aimed in that direction."

In the tournament in Malaysia, Pakistan started off well by defeating Holland 3-2 and then drew 3-3 to New Zealand before going down to Argentina 0-2.

In the playoff for 5th position, Bajwa's boys won 4-1 against Korea.

Meanwhile the visa scandal that had rocked the PHF last year also came up for discussion and Musarrat explained that he was not in any way involved in it. "It was an act of an individual who signed the applications for visas."

Capt Mukhtar Ali was at the centre of the controversy and was found guilty by an inquiry committee of signing letters for grant of visas to unauthorised people.

Speaking in defence of Musarrat, Tariq said that he had no doubt about the integrity of the secretary.

The recent scrutiny and the mechanism of appeal was also discussed and the chairman Rai Azizullah announced formation of a committee which he himself will head to look minutely into these affairs besides the PHF constitution.

The chairman concluded that the sport was in a dismal state and that a nursery needed to be developed to lift the sport out of its current gloom.