ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ramiz Raja has invited members of National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) to watch any of the matches of the Lahore leg of Pakistan Super League (PSL).
This was told by Member National Assembly (MNA) Nawab Sher while chairing the meeting of the Committee at the Parliament House here Thursday.
The second phase of the 7th edition of PSL will be staged at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore with Multan Sultans and Peshawar Zalmi locking horns on February 10. The final of the event will be held on February 27.
The Chairman told the members of the Committee that PCB chief had written a letter to him, requesting a leave from today’s meeting as he was heavily engaged due to the ongoing PSL. “He has also invited us to watch a PSL match at Gaddafi Stadium. The PCB will arrange one night stay for us”, he added.
He asked the members to convey their willingness to hold Committee’s meeting in Lahore besides watching the match. “If you deem appropriate we can hold the meeting in Lahore. But we will also have to see whether there is a NA session on that day or not. In case of NA session we can’t accept the invitation.
“Besides, we’ll have to seek Speaker’s [NA] permission. But we welcome the invitation and even if we don’t hold the meeting there, we can still go and watch the match, ” Nawab told the members.
Meanwhile, the Committee while emphasizing the need for a coherent strategy in the field of sports, directed the Ministry of IPC and Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to revisit the policy and structure of funds allocation for the promotion of sports in the country.
In his briefing, the President of Athletics Federation of Pakistan Gen. (r) Akram Sahi apprised the Committee that the Federation acquired the rights to organize athletics in Pakistan from the International Association of Athletics Federation (World Athletics) in 1951.
“The mission of Athletics Federation of Pakistan is to promote and develop the sport of athletics in Pakistan in accordance with the World Athletics rules.
“Its objectives are to promote, develop, and be the sole governing body for the sport of Athletics in the country, ” he said.
The Federation encourages participation in Athletics at all levels throughout Pakistan through competitions, events, programmes and activities, he added.
He requested the Ministry of IPC for allocation of necessary funds to further strengthen the federation. The Committee directed the Ministry of IPC and PSB to revisit the policy and structure of funds allocation for the promotion of sports in the country.
Secretary Pakistan Hockey Federation, Asif Bajwa briefed the panel about the current state of affairs of Pakistan hockey. He said the federation had hired services of a foreign coach and a physical trainer but was suffering from scarcity of funds.
“We have not qualified for the Olympics and World Cup twice. I assure you that we can make to these events now but for that funds are needed, ”he added.
He said during the ongoing year the national hockey team had to participate in seven international events and for that 250 million to 300 million were needed.
The Committee also considered “The Prevention of Offences in Sports Bill, 2020”, moved by Iqbal Muhammad Ali Khan, MNA. The Committee, in its previous meeting, directed the Ministry of Interior to furnish their views/comments regarding addition of a new Chapter “XXIV” to the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 as advised/opined by the Law Division. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in compliance with the directions of Ministry of Interior viewed that the Federal Government may be requested to add offences, i.e. 512 to 518 of PPC on the Schedule of FIA Act, 1974 in exercise of powers under Section 6 of the said Act. Furthermore, the Schedule-II of the Cr.P.C may be amended in respect of the proposed offences accordingly in order to regulate/describe their criminal procedure. The mover of the Bill did not attend the meeting, therefore, the Committee decided to defer the agenda till its next meeting.
Later, the Committee also deferred the agenda of budgetary proposals relating to Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) of the Ministry of IPC and it’s attached departments for the next Financial Year 2022-23.
The Committee decided to discuss the PSDP budgetary proposals of the Ministry in its next meeting which will be held shortly.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Mehboob Shah, Gul Dad Khan, Gul Zafar Khan, Haji Imtiaz Ahmed Chaudhary, Robina Jamil, Shaheen Naz Saifullah, Sheda Nosheen Iftikhar, Ch. Zulfiqar Ali Bhinder, Rana Mubashir Iqbal, Muhammad Afzal Khokhar, Rasheed Ahmad Khan, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, Shahida Rehmani, Nasiba Channa, and Syed Faiz ul Hassan. Besides senior officers from ministries of IPC, Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, Law and Justice, Athletics Federation of Pakistan, Pakistan Hockey Federation and the representative from the Department of Tourist Services attended the meeting.
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