Member of National Assembly Shehla Raza has called on Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif to impose an ad hoc setup and appoint a neutral interim president for the Pakistan Hockey Federation so that transparent elections can be held and the sport can be revived.
Speaking at a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad with renowned former Olympians including Shehnaz Sheikh, Samiullah, Kaleemullah, Hanif Khan, Nasser Ali, Wasim Feroz, Shakil Abbasi, Syed Haider Hussain, Naeem Akhtar Khan and Ayaz Mehmood, as well as officials from hockey federations across the country, Shehla Raza said the current PHF president is not an elected officeholder but a nominee.
Shehla Raza noted that Tariq Bugti had been assigned the task of scrutinising clubs and conducting elections, yet he engineered his own election as president despite the legal principle that a caretaker or supervisor should not contest the polls. She emphasised that an impartial interim leadership is essential to restore credibility to Pakistan Hockey and guarantee fair competition among clubs.
Raza also highlighted a recent letter from the Pakistan Sports Board which rejected unilateral club scrutiny and raised questions about the PHF’s financial integrity. She said the PSB had pointed to irregular registrations carried out through a portal opened by Rana Mujahid that favoured certain clubs, and she asked what steps the PSB intends to take to address these concerns.
Former Olympian Shehnaz Sheikh recalled that recommendations presented to the prime minister’s committee urged that clean and transparent elections be conducted under nonpartisan supervisors and that all clubs across the country be subjected to proper scrutiny. She urged the prime minister to focus on saving the national sport.
Samiullah, speaking at the same event, warned that Pakistan’s national game has suffered for the last two decades and stressed that improving club standards and ensuring fair governance are necessary to attract sponsors and return the team to competitive standing.
Shehla Raza demanded that the prime minister immediately appoint an ad hoc body and a neutral interim president to oversee PHF elections, arguing that only transparent processes will help bring back Pakistan Hockey’s golden era and restore players’ rights, including timely payment of daily allowances.
The call reflects wider concern within the hockey community over governance, club registration practices, and the financial health of the federation, and seeks swift intervention to stabilise administration and prepare for credible elections under a neutral overseer.
