ISLAMABAD: Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Saturday apologized to mixed martial arts player Shahzaib Rindh over the “inordinate delay” in the provision of the government’s promised financial reward and support.
The information minister’s apology comes after Rindh, in a post on X on Wednesday, had slammed the government for its “fake promises” of Rs5m in cash and an additional Rs80m to support his training and upcoming matches.
In September, Rindh made history when he won the Karate Combat Championship (KC-49) in Singapore, becoming the first-ever world champion from Pakistan after defeating Brazil’s Bruno Roberto De Assis in the final.
Following the win, President Asif Ali Zardari had presented Rindh with a cheque worth Rs100 million, the Balochistan government announced Rs2m as a cash prize, while a former minister had also promised him 25 acres of land.
Our politicians are corrupt last time i won prime Minister @CMShehbaz Announced me 5 Million cash and 80million to support my training Camp and upcoming fights it was all lie i never got penny from them. they just take pictures fake promosises and forget shame @OfficialDGISPR https://t.co/HgKA6t2D9e
— Shahzaib “KING” Rind (@RindhShahzaib) July 23, 2025
“Our politicians are corrupt,” Rindh alleged, adding that the last time he won, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had announced rewards for him.
Last year, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had issued a statement congratulating Rindh and met with him. However, a report on any announcement of a reward could not be found.
In a post on X on Saturday, the Information Minister responded to Rindh’s criticism, “apologising for the delay in the promised support.”
Dear Shahzeb, @RindhShahzaib
There seems to be some miscommunication. We sincerely apologise for this unjustified delay, sportsmen like you are our real heroes and we value your achievements. You have brought great honour to the country and made us all proud. The Prime Minister…
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) July 26, 2025
“There seems to be some miscommunication. We sincerely apologise for this unjustified delay,” the minister posted on X.
“Sportsmen like you are our real heroes, and we value your achievements. You have brought great honour to the country and made us all proud.”
He added, “The prime minister has taken serious notice of this inordinate delay, and rest assured, it will be sorted out immediately, inshallah.
“The PM has further instructed that such mistakes must never happen in the future. We regret this unjustified delay and the inconvenience caused,” the minister said.
In response, Rindh welcomed the “acknowledgement,” saying, “I truly appreciate the prime minister’s attention to this matter and his commitment to supporting athletes like myself.
Thank you for your kind message and acknowledgment. I truly appreciate the Prime Minister’s attention to this matter and his commitment to supporting athletes like myself.
Representing Pakistan on the world stage is an honour, and I will always give my all for our country.…
— Shahzaib “KING” Rind (@RindhShahzaib) July 26, 2025
“Representing Pakistan on the world stage is an honour, and I will always give my all for our country. Inshallah, with your support, we can continue to uplift and inspire the next generation of champions,” he added, saying he looked forward to the issue’s resolution soon.
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