Controversy about a piece of land: Senate Standing Committee on Sports seeks report

The Senate Standing Committee on Sport, Saturday sought a report on the controversy pertaining to land, which was originally owned by Gaddafi Stadium Sports Complex but the former government allowed an Abu Dhabi-based business group to construct Mubarak Centre on it in Lahore.
Director General Pakistan Sports Board (PCB), Syed Amir Hamza Gillani told the committee, which met with its chairman Senator Abdul Ghafoor Qureshi at the Parliament House that the management of Mubarak, has started construction of its offices and parking plazas on 60 kanals, originally belonging to Gaddafi Stadium Sports Complex.
The committee was informed that Gaddafi Stadium Sports Complex had 142 kanals of land for construction of various sports complexes in Lahore but former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had allowed Sheikh Mubarak Al Nahyan Company to construct the plaza on 60 kanals. The DG PCB, who also seemed confused and was changing statements every now and then over the status of the controversy said that the then Minister for Sports, Peer Aftab Shah Jilani had written a letter to Chief Minister Punjab one and a half years back for conducting an inquiry into the matter.
The chief minister deputed chief secretary Punjab to conduct inquiry into the controversy, said Gillani, adding that now the matter was pending with revenue department Punjab government.
However, the committee directed Secretary, Ministry of Sports to submit a detailed report to the committee on the status of land, which is under use of the Abu Dhabi based business group. Mubarak Tower-I, once completed, is said to be the tallest building in Pakistan, which would also be visible from India. The committee, which was specially summoned to discuss the working and performance of the Pakistan Cycling Federation, expressed concerns over the non-regulation and poor performance of the country's almost 40 sports federations for not effectively promoting sports activities and also directed the ministry to submit detailed report of all sports federations in its next meeting on January 24. The committee asked Ministry of Sports to frame rules and regulations for proper functioning of sports federations.
In his observation, the chairman of the committee, said that there was an ineffective oversight of the sports federations and added that elections of these federations should also be regulated by the Ministry concerned.