KARACHI: Pakistan’s political scenario was jolted on Friday with the decision of disqualification of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif by the Supreme Court but the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) stayed unshaken.
The PM of the country is by default the Patron in Chief of all the sports federations of Pakistan, but PHF Secretary Shahbaz Senior said that Nawaz’s role in the operations of the federation was minimal.
“PM’s disqualification won’t affect PHF functions. Patron in chief’s only role was to approve finances for tours and camps,” said PHF Secretary Shahbaz Senior.
He added that they always contacted the Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) ministry if they needed financial assistance. “We are never in direct contact with PM and it’s always through IPC ministry. So if we have any issues regarding financial grants, we will contact IPC ministry.”
He further revealed that PM had provided PHF with a financial grant which is still being used for tours and camps.
Talking about the future of Pakistan Hockey League (PHL), which is scheduled to take place in November and received security clearance from the Pakistan Army recently, Shahbaz said PM had no direct involvement in the operations.
“A private company is organising the league and arranging finances through sponsors. So, we are going to carry on preparations without any impediments,” he said. – Agencies
