Urgent Need for Transparency and Policy Reforms within the Sports Directorate, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Respected Director General Sports Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,

I am writing to bring to your immediate attention several critical issues within the Sports Directorate that require your urgent intervention to ensure transparency, fairness, and efficient operations.

Firstly, regarding the transfer policy for District Sports Officers (DSOs), it is imperative to establish a clear and equitable policy. DSOs who have served two years in a single district must be transferred to other districts. This rotation must not be limited to Mardan, Peshawar, Nowshera, or Charsadda. It is important to ensure that the transfers are not based on personal relationships or influential family members and result in privileged postings in neighboring areas. Rather, transfers must be based on performance, allowing DSOs to work in varying areas such as Kohistan, Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir, Chitral, and the southern districts. This will expose them to firsthand experience of the hardships in these regions. It has been noticed that connected DSOs are usually endowed with official cars and are seen misusing fuel allowances for private consumption in severe winters, even in the absence of any functions, whereas others go without such amenities.

Secondly, there are cases where DSOs are actually Computer Operators or Assistants by designation but occupy important positions. Traditionally, nepotism has resulted in some people enjoying preferential postings. There are instances of "priviledged" persons who have been posted to the same location for five years with Grade 16 posts and official cars, but to no accountability. Although their sports activities may be curtailed, their reported expenditure amounts to millions of rupees. On being questioned, these expenditures are generically cleared under "employee salaries," which is not on. I request you to stop such practices.

Thirdly, it is important to deal with the non-responsiveness of the Right to Information (RTI) requests. DSOs who are tasked with responding to RTI applications should be given a stern warning. For the last six months, I have not been able to receive information from the DSOs in Peshawar and Charsadda. The Charsadda office states that information is not available because it was recently transferred, whereas the Peshawar office says the information is located in Charsadda. Such avoidance strongly indicates a bid to cover up previous performance malfunctions by former employees in both offices, and thus the information is intentionally inaccessible.

Finally, and most importantly, I have been made aware that in certain districts, DSOs are hiding financial issues from official assistants and, shockingly, engaging day-wage staff, who are essentially their personal attendants, in managing finances. This is an illegal activity and erodes financial integrity. You must take serious notice of this issue and order a strong investigation.

Your prompt response to these issues will greatly improve the transparency, accountability, and overall effectiveness of the Sports Directorate, thereby ensuring that public money is spent wisely and for the maximum benefit of sports development in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Sincerely,

Musarrat Ullah Jan

Sports Writere /Journalist