The Azad Jammu and Kashmir Accountability Bureau has taken notice of irregularities during the first season of the Kashmir Premier League (KPL). According to details, the irregularities relate to offering contracts to suspicious firms without a proper procedure.
The Accountability Bureau has also sought clarification from the Ministry of Sports, Youth, and Culture of AJ&K regarding the matter. The inaugural edition of KPL was held in August of last year in Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium. While the tournament was a huge success as it gave the platform for young players to perform at the biggest stage, question marks have been raised about the way the tournament was organized.
According to the details, the Bureau has also sought clarification from the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) about the legitimacy of the league and what is the role of the PCB in holding such events. They further requested the KPL management to provide details on how private firms were selected to organize the event, and whether they opened tenders for the role in line with Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) rules.
The Bureau has also requested the Ministry of Sports, Youth and Culture of AJ&K to provide further details on the contracts offered to the firms. They have requested copies of advertisements of tenders presented in the newspapers, the offers received in response to the advertisements, details of the firms who made the bids, and notification of the bids evaluation committee.
Registration certificates, certified copies of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), details of facilities constructed by KPL, and their value have also been sought by the Accountability Bureau. Furthermore, the name, post, address, and authority letter of the representative who signed the MoU on behalf of KPL are also to be provided to the watchdog.
The latest developments have put the future of the league in doubt. Further details will be revealed in due time.
