Spot-match fixing: Senate body chief for introducing criminal offence laws

Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Co-ordination, Senator Mushahid Ullah Khan said that there is a need to introduce criminal offence laws on spot-match fixing to stop such scandals from recurring in future, which damages the image of the country.
"The scandals of match-fixing are growing and these illegal activities not only jeopardise the integrity of the competition and threaten the economic role of sports, but also damage the image of the country at international level," Senator Mushahid Ullah expressed these views while chairing the committee meeting at the Parliament House on Friday.
The chairman said that phenomenon of spot-fixing brings to the surface its links to other criminal activities such as corruption and organised crime. He said that there is a dire need to address it through appropriate investigative and law enforcement tools, besides introducing criminal offence laws and maximum punishment to stop such incidents permanently in future.
He said that these illegal activities also damage the social, educational and cultural values reflected by sports. The committee chairman said, "The players who are being alleged in spot match-fixing in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) should be given an opportunity to prove their innocence. Many people who were involved in match-fixing in the past are enjoying lucrative positions in the Pakistan Cricket Board."
Chairman Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Shaharyar Khan said while briefing the committee that the incidents of spot-fixing occur in many countries like India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and others. He said that bookies go to many countries to approach the players for this purpose.
PCB Chairman Shaharyar said the board could impose life ban on the players under investigation for spot-fixing during the Pakistan Super League (PSL) if they are found guilty. He said that bookies targeted three players and contacted them through former opening batsman Nasir Jamshed. "They wanted to target three players including Sharjeel Khan, Khalid Latif and Mohammad Irfan," he added.
"When we came to know about it, head of Pakistan Super League anti-corruption and security vigilance unit Azam Khan held meeting with these players and asked if a bookie Yousaf had approached them. "The players admitted their mistake and we sent them back to Pakistan," he further said. He said the players would submit their final statements and then a tribunal headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court would deliver final decision in the instant matter.
Shaharyar also said that the decision regarding organising the final match in Lahore of the second edition of the PSL is up to the government. "It is up to the government to decide whether the PSL final will be held in Lahore or not," he added. Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Raiz Hussain Prizada said, "Let them (players) go, they are children, media is already criticising them" While discussing another issue relating to the visit of the national team for 12th South Asian Games at Guwahati and Shillong, India, it was revealed during the meeting that DG Sports Board Muhammad Athar Nawaz Ganjera had gone to India without seeking approval from the Prime Minister.
It was told in the meeting that a summary of 15 officials, including DG Sports Board, was sent to the Prime Minster for approval. The Prime Minister approved eight names and dropped seven names including DG Sports Board. But the DG Sports Board had gone to India without awaiting the approval of the summary.
Federal Minister for Inter-Provincial Co-ordination Raiz Hussain Prizada said that he has the authority to send any official abroad and he had allowed DG Sports Board to go to India for the security of the daughter of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, as she was a member of the team.