Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday presented a cheque of Rs5 million to the father of international mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Shahzaib Rind, in recognition of the athlete's role in elevating Pakistan’s image in global sports.

 

The sports star’s father, Khair Muhammad, met the Prime Minister at the PM Office, where the financial award was formally given on behalf of the federal government.

 

PM Shehbaz praised Shahzaib Rind’s international successes and extended his best wishes for future competitions. The gesture comes amid recent criticism of the federal government for delays in fulfilling promises made to the fighter.

 

 

Shahzaib had publicly expressed disappointment over the delay, prompting the Prime Minister to take notice of the matter.

 

Earlier, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar issued a public apology to Shahzaib, citing a "miscommunication" as the reason behind the delay.

 

In a post on social media, Tarar said, “Due to a miscommunication, there was an unfortunate delay in fulfilling our commitment to Shahzaib Rind. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and reaffirm our promise to honour his contributions.”

 

He added that the Prime Minister had taken “serious notice” of the situation and instructed authorities to resolve the issue without further delay.

 

Rind made history in 2024 by becoming Pakistan’s first-ever world champion in Karate Combat after defeating Brazil’s Bruno Roberto De Assis in the KC-49 final in Singapore. He is also a six-time national Wushu champion and previously secured the Combat League title in the United States.