KARACHI, Aug 18: The Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) sacked its Director Administration making him the scapegoat in the visa scam although an internal probe conducted earlier this year does not recommend such a punishment.

The findings and recommendations of the PHF inquiry committee were submitted recently by the federation with the Senate Standing Committee on Sports. Dawn has copies of the inquiry committee findings.

Capt (Retd) Syed Mukhtar Ali has been at the centre of controversy and is said to have facilitated several people in obtaining visas of European countries. He was fired after the scam surfaced earlier this year.

In its reply which was sought by the Senate Standing Committee, the PHF has conceding that only four persons, other than members of the hockey team, were issued letters for visas by Ali.

The four are Maj (Retd) Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Syed Ashad Ali, Zahid Mahmood and Shahzad Zeb. Terming it as “an act of an individual” the PHF says the man responsible has been punished.

The PHF claims that its president ordered termination of Mukhtar’s services on the recommendation of the probe committee but interestingly there is no mention in those recommendations that the man in question be given the sack.

The probe though does reveal that Ali “misused his powers” for which an explanation be sought from him. “Although there are written instructions in the PHF to sign every letter/correspondence going out of PHF by the secertary, it is not being followed in letter and spirit.”

The inquiry report says that Mukhtar signed letters for four persons without seeking permission from the PHF secretary but it could not be proven that he had received Rs 600,000 for so doing.

The committee could not investigate the matter relating to issuance of another 25 to 30 letters for similar purposes “due to non-availability of proper reference.”

In its recommendations, the committee which was headed by Khawaja Zarar Kaleem, has said that visa letters be signed only by the PHF secretary or by any other nominated official.

The specimen signatures of both the authorized persons for issuing such letters, duly attested by the PHF chief, should be in the record of embassies.

Other recommendations include curtailing the practice of sending “hockey lovers” abroad, ensuring the return of every person being given letters for visas and obtaining only single-entry visas for teams going on foreign trips.

Investigations also found that the travel agency in Peshawar from whom the PHF were buying tickets was not an IATA agency but is registered with the Pakistan Tourism Department.

It has thus been recommended that “tickets be bought strictly under the financial rules in which three quotations are mandatory” and that “financial discipline be observed in accordance with rules.”

Following a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on July 27, the PHF was also asked to give in writing the corrective measures it had adopted since 2000 after Pakistan team’s performance graph continued to dip.

The PHF responded by saying that in the year 2000 the affairs of the federation and that of the national side were chaotic with in-house fighting that resulted in removal of two presidents and two secretaries.

“The senior team was out of the Champions Trophy and the juniors out of the Continental Qualifying Round of the Junior World Cup,” the PHF said.

Faced with bankruptcy, the PHF borrowed money from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the government to stay afloat in what was an Olympic year.

The PHF mentions a host of steps it took to rectify the situation and improve the state of affairs. But it points out that being ranked fourth in the world today was not discouraging if the overall decline in Pakistan sport were to be taken into account.

“The main role of the president and the secretary is to facilitate and provide best possible environment, food, accommodation and domestic/international exposure,” to the players.

The PHF says that keeping in view the national team’s “pathetic performance” during the last 21 years, a high-level committee was being set up to evaluate the causes and to suggest a road map for 2008 Olympic preparations.

The Senate Standing Committee is now due to meet in Islamabad on Monday to follow up on the July 27 meeting. Besides discussing hockey affairs, it will also seek an explanation from PCB chief Shaharyar M. Khan why Karachi was not allotted a Test match against England during their tour that starts in October.