Heads of 12 sports bodies clinging to their seats despite completing two terms

• Some of them have been clinging to their seats for the past 28 to 30 years
• "The posts of sports federations have become a musical chairs show nowadays," says the federal secretary 
• In violation of law, the 12 influential heads created a news post, which did not exist before, after completing their two terms

ISLAMABAD: The heads of 12 major sports federations in the country have been clinging to their seats despite completing two terms of four years each, The News reported.

Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination Secretary Mohsin Mushtaq revealed that some of them have been heading the sports bodies for the last 28 to 30 years. In violation of the policy, they created a new post of chairperson to extend their tenures, he added.

Talking to The News, The federal secretary said that the 12 influential people, after completing their two terms at different sports federations, have created a new post, which did not exist before

He said, "The posts of sports federations have become a musical chairs show nowadays. New posts which never existed were created by influential people after they completed their two terms at 12 different federations".

“There are people at some sports federations who have been there for the last 28 to 30 years, doing the same job,” Mushtaq said, adding that according to the policy, no one can remain posted to the seats of president, secretary and treasurer for more than two terms.

Responding to a question, he said POA and National Sports Federations were against the new sports policy and the creation of independent electoral forum.

The new policy empowers the chief election commission for sports federations to stop any official from having any post after completing two terms, he told the correspondent.

"A dispute resolution committee is also being established which will be run by non-controversial people,'' the IPC secretary revealed.

Pakistan Sports Board Director General Asif Zaman also confirmed to The News that a new policy is in the final phase and about to be introduced to ensure the implementation of a two-term policy and keep the high posts of sports federations transparent.

"The drafts of the new policy is being shared with all 41 federations today", he said adding that under the new policy, an electoral body is being established to elect competent people on higher posts of the federations.

The head of the election commission will be a retired High Court Judge with two more members — one from POA and one from PSB — who will conduct elections of all the federations, explained DG PSB.

This correspondent also tried to contact the POA president to get his version, but failed despite repeated calls.