ISLAMABAD, Nov 29: Financial irregularities have been detected in Islamabad Golf Club (IGC) in a recently held PGM Tournament 2008.

Following the revelations by Honorary Secretary of IGC Commodore S.S.H. Hashmi, removal of club captain has been demanded.

Documents available with Dawn reveal that misappropriation of Rs85,600 was detected in the prices quoted for various electronic goods gifted during the competition to the players.

The report has been sent to the IGC president, Commerce Secretary Syed Asif Shah and the Principal Secretary to the President Mahmood Salim Mahmood – administrator of the country’s elite Islamabad Club.

The list of electronic goods included television sets, water dispenser, microwave ovens and other electronic items.

In his report Commodore S.S.H. Hashmi said: “The club management should take serious notice of the malpractice which is already known to many members of the club and is eroding the confidence of the members on the managing committee.”

Commodore Hashmi stressed on the club managing committee to ask the IGC club captain Zahid Arbab to resign from the committee and refund the entire misappropriated amount.

When contacted, Commodore S.S. Hashmi said: “It’s very much proven that Zahid Arbab misappropriated the said amount.”

I am amazed, he said, that no action had been taken by the IGC president to remove him.

The captain of IGC, Zahid Arbab, when contacted, denied the allegations leveled against him.

Some people, Zahid Arbab said, were working against his proactive work and positive moves for the development of IGC.

“We bought the electronic goods from the open market and later found that the shopkeeper had overcharged us an amount of Rs43,000,” he said.

He said when the shopkeeper was asked to refund the amount he returned Rs30,000.

“We waived Rs13,000 to the shopkeeper under profit and miscellaneous service charges,” he claimed.