LAHORE - The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued a notice to Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) on a writ petition of Chess Federation of Pakistan (CFP) secratry Dr Naeem Hamid Mirza to stop the board from aiding the unauthorized and parallel federation under the political and personal influences.
Dr Mirza, in his petition, has contended that instead of facilitating internationally-recognised body which has been working since 1956 in close coordination and harmony with National Sports Policy, the PSB is creating hurdles in smooth functioning of the CFP by illegally aiding the parallel federation under the table. After hearing the initial contention of the petitioner, Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui has sought the comments of the PSB on April 17.
Talking to this scribe, Dr Mirza said: “The fast spreading menace of parallel bodies have mushroomed under the direct patronization of certain lobbies in the PSB from past one and a half year based on vested interests.”
He believed that the politically motivated decisions and willful negligence on the part of the PSB amounted to incompetence. “Perhaps certain lobbies in the PSB help certain groups to raise parallel bodies in a bid to secure heavy funding under the pretext of sports promotion. The rest of the story needs no elaboration,” he added.
He also cited the difficulties being faced by the CFP due to pathetic non-cooperation of the PSB and explained that even in these worst circumstances, the federation had made possible Pakistan’s international representation in three major events including World Youth Chess Championship held at Al-Ain, UAE and South Asian Amateur Chess Championship in Nepal. World Chess Federation’s vice president Ali Nihat also visited Pakistan on February 25 to launch FIDE-Chess in Schools Pilot Project for 100 schools, he asserted.
Although a strong critique of the PSB decadent behavior, he praised the decision of Prime Minister to appoint Dr Akhtar Nawaz Ganjera as new Director General. He hoped that Dr Ganjera would move in the right direction to avoid further destruction in National Sports Scene.
This is interesting to note that Khawaja Saeed Hai, a former Davis Cup captain and Ex-president of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PSB) has also expressed the same views about the board in his statement a few days earlier.