PM Shehbaz lifts ban on departmental sports

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday announced the lifting of ban on departmental sports in the country, reversing the decision of former prime minister Imran Khan's government.

The ban was imposed by the PTI government asking all public departments, corporations and autonomous bodies to stop their funding of sports teams in 30 different disciplines. The decision had led thousands jobless from the positions of departmental sports.

He said that Pakistani sportsmen, who bagged top positions in the Commonwealth Games and Islamic Solidarity Games, had made the country proud and are an inspiration for the country’s youth.

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The prime minister was speaking at a cash prize distribution ceremony for the winning sportsmen of the international sport events recently held in Birmingham, UK and Turkey.

He said that the entire nation is proud of the outstanding performance of the players who have proved their mettle with hard work and dedication.

He expressed confidence that the talented sportsmen would bring more laurels to the country and would continue to achieve success in their respective games.

He also mentioned that Pakistan is passing through challenging times due to flash floods across the country. He expressed grief over the death of more than 900 people in the last few months due to floods, saying the government would leave no stone unturned to provide relief and rehabilitation to the victims.

Earlier, the premier gave away cash prizes to the players including Nooh Dastagir Butt, Shah Hussain, Sharif Tahir, Arshad Nadeem and several others at the special ceremony held in Islamabad at the PM House.