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ISLAMABAD, Aug 5: Standing Committee of the Senate on Sports, Cultural and Tourism has underlined the need for the promotion of a healthy sports culture in the country and observed that the sportsman spirit, could only be achieved by promoting sports at all levels, irrespective of the regional or gender considerations.

The committee, which met under the chairmanship of Senator Justice (Rtd) Dr. Javed Iqbal in the parliament house here today, also discussed the performance and selection of Pakistan junior cricket team currently visiting European countries.

It noted that the Pakistani players had a great potential and they could make a real difference in the world tournament, if properly regulated, motivated, trained and given due incentives as national heroes.

The Committee called for greater participation of local players at the at the level of junior team in the larger interest of the game.

The Committee also took note of the absence of the chairman of the ad hoc committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board and advised the Ministry to ensure his presence in the next meeting.

It unanimously recommended that the selection committee of the Pakistan Cricket Board should be made really representative of all the four provinces and that only merit and past performance must be the sole consideration for the selection of the Pakistan cricket team.

The Federal Minister for Information, Culture and Sports, Mr. Mushahid Hussain Syed informed the Committee about the steps taken by the government for the promotion of sports in the country and also referred to the launching of the sports channel by the Pakistan Television.

He said that the Government was fully alive to the importance of sports and was already considering a comprehensive sports promotion programme which would also be referred to the Standing Committees of the two Houses of the Parliament to seek the advice and guidance of the parliamentarians.

The Committee also took note of the gradual deterioration in various disciplines of sports which were once synonymous with the word of Pakistan and observed that the sports like hockey and squash also needed due patronage, as in the past, Pakistan had almost a monopoly on these sports, which was gradually sliding away.

The committee discussed the issue of the women cricket and felt that there was a strong need to develop a sense of homogeneity, cooperation and mutual understanding among different sports organisations representing the women folk.

The Committee decided to constitute a four member Sub-committee headed by Senator Syed Iqbal Haider to make contacts with PCB and women cricket organisations with a viewto motivatingthemfor holding electionstoensuretheir representation at national level.

The other members of the sub-committee include Senators syed Aqil Shah, Muhammad Zahid Khan and Haji Gul Afridi. Senator Aqil Shah was of the view that cricket affairs had been discussed from various dimensions and they should now maintain low profile on the issue not only in the press but also in other forums.

The Committee recommended that Arbab Niaz StadiumPeshawar and other such facilities in other provinces should be handed over to Pakistan Cricket Board for the development of sports activities in the country.

The meeting was attended besides the Chairman of the Committee Senator Justice (Rtd) Dr. Javed Iqbal and Federal Minister Mushahid Hussain Syed, by Senators M. Zahid Khan, Syed Iqbal Haider, Syed Aqil, Haji Gul Afridi and Muhammad Zahid Khan and Secretary of the Committee Mr. Jamil Ahmad Qureshi, Advisor on Sports Mr. Ali Muhammad Khawaja and senior officials of the Ministry, Pakistan Sport Board and Pakistan Cricket Board also attended the meeting.