Deputation, Influence & the Decline of Sports Governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan , KikxNow , Digital Creator

There are several transfers and appointments that have taken place at the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the question has been raised all over again: are we really moving ahead with the cause of sports, or have the administrative choices been affected by likes, dislikes, and influence? This question is quite simple, but the consequences are enormous. Why does the requirement to appoint persons on deputation keep arising so frequently? And if the requirement does exist, how are the appointees selected on the basis of policy, say, District Sports Officers?

On paper, it is all right to give deputation if there is specific expert knowledge required in a given area, which the department itself does not possess. There should be some gain from the experience of the officer on deputation. But when this becomes a regular affair, as in being directly involved in sports-related activities, activities at the district level, and then planning the future of young sports persons, it all becomes questionable.

The important question is: What is the criterion used to judge the sporting expertise of police officers who come on deputation? Are they conversant with experience in conducting sporting events at the district level or know what happens in sporting grounds? Or is deputation merely an easier alternative to place favorites in crucial career slots?

Recent transfer actions have also brought to the fore another worrisome phenomenon. Grade-17 officers have been assigned secondary duties, while Grade-16 officers have been promoted to administrative Grade-17 offices. One is led to question whether the Sports Department has any laws, rules, or policies regarding such appointments. Do they exist? Why not make them public? Alternatively, if there are no policies, on what premise have the appointments been conducted?

One might also like to know: If these officers are that competent and qualified, why are they not in their own parent departments? Why has the Sports Department, therefore, been used as a testing ground for experiments? Are other provincial departments not subject to this exercise, or are sports given less priority in this regard?

The transfer lists have been scanned and it is seen that there is a certain trend in the transfer of players. Most attention is centered either in certain cities or in certain regions. Is it being suggested that there are no other districts in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa? Do the youth in the far-off, tribal, or under-developed districts have no right to the development of sports?

Again, this has contributed to the notion that the Sports Directorate at the provincial level is deliberately being downscaled. Worthy officers chosen based on merit, through the Public Service Commission, who have worked for their posts through examination and other rigors, are either relegated to positions that are ineffectual or soon are replaced. Those connected, however, get influential offices, gymnasiums, and the district office.

Another regrettable situation is when major sports grounds and infrastructure in major cities are placed in the hands of people who are not part of the governing administrative system. Questions and concerns on this issue continue to be raised, but they are received without response. This has continued to create discomfort and suspicion on the part of those who involve themselves in sporting activities.

The litigation department within the Sports Department is highly specialized and requires not just knowledge of the law but also familiarity with internal affairs and ongoing cases within the department. The lack of experience in this area directly affects the Sports Department. It also takes newly hired officers the first few months just to understand the status of the cases, thereby putting the department’s interests at risk.

The above issues combined create an impression as though the Sports Department is being weakened rather than strengthened. In recent years, cases of financial irregularities and lack of proper management in sports projects have been in the headlines, with certain officers being called for explanations. In this regard, the question is even more critical: Are current administrative decisions promoting transparency and efficiency or diminishing them?

Sadly, people who have been in the army for so many years, who have a very intimate knowledge of the grounds, the players, the system, are never given a chance, whereas persons who come from outside take time to learn, and that cost is directly reflected in the sports activities.

It appears that in the policy-making arena, the actual needs of sports have been relegated to the background. Sports neither survive on files, office orders, and demonstrations of might and power by the authorities alone. While sports demand vision, tolerance, cooperation, and an approach that is player-friendly. Policies and strategies formulated on the basis of power and might and composed in an aggressively forceful tone and style in the office only create complexities and don't resolve problems whatsoever.

The exercise of power and responsibility is not earned with the receipt of a role or power. Good governance is founded upon tolerance, accountability, transparency, and responsiveness—principles that must hold equal application to the Sports Department as to other bodies.

Presently, there are also questions regarding some of the latest administrative measures adopted at the district level. This is due to the fact that some merit officers have been relieved quickly, while some other, lower-ranking officers on deputation from other departments have been posted to important positions within the districts. Additionally, charges of political ties also surface.

However, it should first be made clear that this criticism in no way targets an individual but a process and a policy in a questioning manner. The sports domain is related to the future of youth, a healthy society, and healthy activities, and each and every matter in the domain influences the public.

I appeal to young sportspeople to keep their sports offices in their districts updated regarding their activities, sports grounds, and rights, and raise genuine demands through appropriate channels. Only public pressure through the civil society will help such departments perform transparently and accountably, or else such an important department will continue to wander at the mercy of politics and personal agendas, and the cost will be paid not only by the departments but also by the whole country at large.

#SportsGovernance #KPSports #MeritMatters #DeputationCulture #PublicInterest #YouthAndSports #GoodGovernance #kikxnow #digitalcreator #musarratullahjan #kikxnowdigitalcreator