Byline: Three players from the Pakistan hockey team and a team physiotherapist face a lifetime ban for attempting to seek political asylum in a European country without informing the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), effectively ending their careers with the national hockey team.
Lead: Karachi, in a significant development, three players from the Pakistan hockey team namely MurtazaYaqoob, Ihtesham Aslam, and Abdur Rahman, have been banned for life for attempting to seek asylum in a European country without the knowledge of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF). PHF has banned the said individuals along with a team physiotherapist, Waqas, confirmed by PHF secretary-general Rana Mujahid, on Thursday 29th Aug 2024 during a press conference. These players were part of the Karachi camp in preparation for the upcoming Azlan Shah Cup.They had gone for the Nations Cup to the Netherlands and Poland last month on Schengen Visas and had not returned. They sought asylum abroad and reportedly submitted letters of apology to the PHF.
These players were to participate in the Asian Champions Trophy in Hulunbuir Mongolia from September 8 to 17, 2024. As the team is preparing for the tournament, this incident imposes a significant setback, highlighting the possible challenges and pressures for the athletes on and off the field.
Rana Mujahid stated that when the team returned home, PHF called for a team training camp for The Asian Champions Trophy. In response to the call, the three informed that they would not be able to join the training camp due to some personal or domestic issues. He further added that later on they came to know that the threehad flown back to Holland on the same Schengen Visas that PHF issued to the team for the Nations Cup, and sought political asylum there.
He clarified further that the players had left the country without obtaining their No Objection Certificate (NOC), which is mandatory for international traveling.
Mr. Mujahid has shown his anguish by calling the action a “disappointing” episode for Pakistan Hockey, as it would make it difficult for the whole team to apply further for European Visas to go for international competitions.
He added that the PHF Congress has given its approval over the ban for a lifetime and has commanded the PHF president to take relevant actions in collaboration with the Pakistan Consulate to bring them back to the country for further disciplinary actions. He asserted that the PHF would be writing to the Ministry of Home Affairs for further action against the said players.
“We have already notified the interior and foreign ministries for further action,” he added.
The Former Olympian admitted and affirmed that due to the challenging financial constraints of PHF, players had been facing delays in the payment of their travel allowances and daily subsistence payments. However, these issues can never justify the action of abandoning the national team, betraying it, and bringing disgrace to the country.
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In recent years, a concerning trend has emerged within Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), where several cabin crew members have sought asylum in Canada, leaving behind their duties mid-flight.
Maryam Raza, a cabin crew member with Pakistan International Airlines, traveled to Canada but did not board her return flight. She left a note thanking PIA. Maryam Raza is one of numerous PIA staff members who have sought refuge in Canada in recent years.
Another PIA flight attendant assigned to the Toronto route from Karachi also disappeared after leaving the hotel. Jibran Baloch, a flight attendant, was the second crew member to disappear this month.
On February 29, Flight 782 failed to return to its scheduled duties. A search of Jibran Baloch’s room revealed that he had gone missing. Previously, a female flight attendant disappeared from the hotel. Over the last few months before February 2024, around 12 flight attendants assigned to Toronto flights had disappeared.
Despite steps such as withholding the passports of flight attendants assigned to Toronto flights to prevent similar tragedies, the policies’ effectiveness is now being called into question.
Various problems in Pakistani society could lead to the reasonsfor escaping the country, including slow economic progress, a precarious security environment, frequent natural disasters, and political instability.
These challenges limit opportunities for higher education and skilled employment.In addition, Pakistan has a lot of immigrants overseas, and many Pakistanis have a family living there and want them to find them.
Seeking political asylum is not an illegal act and is recognized as a legal process under International Law. However, abandoning one’s own duty or contract and escaping this way would be viewed as a breach of employment and contractual obligations. Thus, it not only harms the career of the individuals but also puts a question on the repute of the country and the nation.