PSB blasts PHF leadership over financial issues, transparency, election concerns

Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has issued a scathing letter to the President of Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) Mir Tariq Hussain Bugti citing serious concerns over financial mismanagement, lack of transparency and failure to fulfill the core mandate of conducting timely elections.

In a letter referencing PHF’s correspondence dated July 23, 2025, the PSB has accused the current PHF leadership of breaching the terms of its ad-hoc appointment and eroding the trust placed in it by the Prime Minister of Pakistan who also serves as the patron-in-chief of PHF.

The letter highlights that despite the passage of more than 18 months since the President's appointment, PHF has made “no progress whatsoever” in conducting free and fair elections, the very mandate on which the current leadership was installed following the resignation of former President Brig (retd) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar.

The PSB noted that the appointment, reaffirmed via official notification on February 1, 2024, was conditional upon the holding of elections under Rule 17 of the PSB Constitution a condition that remains unmet.

PSB said that since the President’s appointment, a total of Rs 119.667 million had been provided to PHF through government channels alongside international logistical support for participation in events like the FIH Nations Cup 2025 in Malaysia.

Yet key financial records, including certified bank statements and transparent audits, remain absent. The only submitted audit for FY 2023–24 contradicts PHF’s own financial claims and fails to account for mounting player grievances over unpaid allowances.

A particularly troubling revelation is PHF's operation of an unauthorized bank account in Sindh Bank. An inquiry by PSB had already flagged this issue in January 2025 but the PHF has reportedly taken no action nor issued any response six months on.

Additionally, the PSB expressed concern over the establishment of a new PHF office in Islamabad in private premises, a move seen as unauthorized and contradictory to PHF's claims of financial constraint. This expansion is now adding to administrative costs without PSB’s prior approval.

The PSB also criticized PHF for granting undue perks and benefits to office bearers expenditures not permissible under public sector norms.

Furthermore, while the PHF continues to earn revenue from commercial use of national assets like the Abdul Sattar Edhi Hockey Stadium in Karachi the federation has failed to disclose how this income is being utilized, raising fresh questions about transparency and accountability.

In a final warning the PSB directed the PHF to respond within seven days, addressing key points including: Failure to conduct elections; inaction on the unauthorized bank account; non-submission of bank statements; foreign tour expenditures of office bearers; legality and cost of the Islamabad office; disclosure of all PHF income and its utilization and justification of administrative perks.

Failure to respond will result in further proceedings, including the matter being referred to the Patron-in-Chief, the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

Once a global hockey powerhouse Pakistan's performance on the international stage has dwindled over the years amid administrative instability and dwindling financial oversight. The latest developments further cloud the future of the sport as calls grow louder for structural reforms and transparent governance.