ISLAMABAD-Pakistan Sports Board that is supposed to boost the sporting activities and look after the athletes instead has become a milking cow for its top officials as well as Inter-Provincial Coordination Ministry.

The mismanagement is the order of the day at the Board with everyone associated with the Board minting financial as well as ‘other’ benefits without giving any importance to the sole purpose of its existence and that is reflective in the miserable plight of sports and sports persons in the country. And the high-ups always got off the hook as they leave no stone unturned to appease their bosses and passing out the benefits to them as well.

The sycophant officials kept flattering the bosses and same was the case on Monday when newly-appointed IPC Secretary Syed Muhamamd Ahmed Abu Akif visited the PSB premises. The secretary who has scheduled to arrive at 10:30am was more than two hours late (that is quite bureaucratic indeed) and kept the whole staff on toes in this waiting period.

DG PSB Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera especially ensured entire female staff presence to welcome the secretary, as he does when IPC Minister or any other dignitary visits the board, despite the fact that the most of the female staff has nothing to do with the arrival of the official. All the female staff had to remain there for entire the waiting time that is quite unjust not only with the staff and embarrassing to them but also raises questions about the DG’s treatment and views about the females working in the PSB.

The same practice has already been brought into the notice of the IPC Minister on several occasions and he had promised to stop this routine was brought into the notice of IPC Minister of several occasions and he despite making promise to ensure office decorum never bothered to stop this ill-treatment towards the females.

The secretary visit also brought the PSB at a standstill as all the officials and top-brass had been gathered at headquarters to welcome him and athletes and sport was the ultimate loses in the whole saga as the PSB is hosting Inter-Board (Men’s) games and players, athletes, coaches were left high and dry. Even the doctor at the medical centre, which is otherwise hardly available there and supporting medical staff were ordered to attend the welcoming party leaving the athletes at their own.

But to credit to DG Ganjera and his stooges, they left no stone unturned to appease and please the secretary and spent from the national kitty for arranging a lavish reception and luncheon for the secretary. Under the supervision of the flattering party of the PSB officials, the secretary was shown different parts of the Complex which were in perfect shape.

But they easily forgot to show the secretary Liaquat Gymnasium whose roof kept leaking in case of rain even during the event, as it had been witnessed during the recently concluded Taekwando event despite the fact that the present administration of the PSB has already spent millions of rupees on renovation and maintenance of the Gymnasium. Even the roof has been changed despite the fact that the previous one was in perfect shape and could have served for several years as well.

It seems DG Ganjera, in connivance with the IPC Ministry, is running the PSB affairs like his personal property as despite many wrongdoings the IPC Ministry never bothered to conduct any inquiry into financial embezzlements and other corrupt practices related allegations and kept mum to give free hand to DG as well as other PSB officials to milk this cow and just keep passing the milk among all stakeholders.

Recently the PSB has sold scrap material for Rs500000 after reaching an under hand deal whereas another bidder was ready to pay Rs one million for the same but without any deal. The aggrieved party has filed written complaint in this regard with Federal Ombudsman also. When Ganjera was questioned about these allegations, he said proper committee was formed under the chair of DDG Administration Mansoor Ahmed, which had completed the entire process. “The Federal Ombudsman has given the PSB a timeframe to settle down the issue and we are trying to resolve the issue amicably.”

But he failed to justify the wastage and embezzlement of millions of rupees in the name of renovation works. For example, for the whitewash of Liaqat Gymnasium, the main contractor has hired another sub-contractor who is using highly substandard material, which is amounting to Rs 2500 per tin. But the main contractor is charging Rs9500 per tin from the PSB. But no one in the PSB is interested to counter check the prices and quality of the used material. The LED lights had also been purchased from Korea 50 percent higher than the actual price. The role of DDG Finance Vijay Kumar is highly dubious in all these circumstances as it is him, who is clearing the payments under the table. On many occasions, he has been transferred from finance department due to complaints against him but he always manages to return to finance department as he is very close to DG. When this scribe contacted Vijay and asked him for details of payments being made to contractors and record of of Quaid-e-Azam Inter-provincial Games (where issuance of millions of rupees on fake documents has been rported), he flatly refused to provide any detail. When this scribe reminded Vijay that according to Supreme Court of Pakistan ruling he can’t deny journalists form basic right of information, he said he was not bound to provide any details and used highly objectionable language. In the past, a lot of inquires had been conducted against Vijay and accounts department for their alleged role in different under the table deals but due to his connections and being a minority, Vijay alwas escaped punishment and his arrogant behaviour is well-known to everybody.

It is high time; Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbassi must take notice of the poor state of affairs of the PSB and order a thorough inquiry through FIA into the affairs of the PSB by seizing all the financial record. And the Director General National Accountability Board should also held an inquiry into this connivance between the PSB high-ups and IPC Minister and other ministry officials to save the national exchequer being looted mercilessly.