FIFA suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) again after its congress rejected FIFA’s constitution revisions.
The PFF has been suspended with immediate effect by FIFA for failing to adopt a Constitutional revision that would ensure truly fair and democratic elections and fulfil its obligations as part of the ongoing normalisation process.
The announcement stated that the PFF Congress must approve FIFA and the AFC’s PFF Constitution to lift the ban.
The FIFA and AFC advised the PFF to change its constitution. The proposed revisions included electoral process clauses. However, the elected PFF congress rejected those revisions.
The PFF has been suspended before. FIFA banned the federation in April 2021 for third-party meddling, violating its rules. FIFA lifted the ban in June 2022 after the PFF’s Normalisation Committee demonstrated complete control of the federation’s facilities and finances.
Challenges persist despite these efforts. FIFA has pushed for PFF constitutional revisions in recent months to ensure fair elections and governance. However, the PFF Congress has been reluctant to approve these amendments, causing the suspension.
Pakistan’s teams cannot compete internationally until the matter is rectified, and the FIFA will not aid the PFF.
PFF Normalisation Committee Chairman Haroon Malik warned today that FIFA may “conditionally” suspend Pakistan due to the standoff between FIFA and PFF’s freshly elected congress.
While briefing the National Assembly’s Inter-Provincial Coordination standing committee, the chairman announced the development. He predicted Pakistan’s international exclusion and FIFA’s end of PFF funding.
“FIFA seeks to alter the PFF Constitution to meet international standards. Malik stated most freshly elected PFF Congress members had rejected FIFA’s plans.
He updated the standing committee on the PFF election process from the district level onwards, stating that all elections have been concluded and elected Congress members will oversee the next phase
Malik also noted that the PFF reached the second round of the 2023 Olympic qualifiers for the first time. The committee commended the national federation for promoting Olympic football.
