The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been suspended by FIFA again for not making the needed changes to its constitution for fair and democratic elections. FIFA announced the suspension on Thursday, saying the PFF didn’t meet the requirements of FIFA’s normalization process.
FIFA Suspends Pakistan Football Federation Over Constitution Issues
FIFA explained in its statement that the suspension happened because the PFF Congress didn’t make the necessary changes to the federation’s constitution. These changes, suggested by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), were meant to improve governance and make the election process more transparent. However, the PFF Congress refused to make these changes, leading to the immediate suspension.
“The PFF has been suspended with immediate effect due to its failure to adopt a revision of the PFF Constitution that would ensure truly fair and democratic elections and thereby fulfil its obligations as mandated by FIFA as part of the ongoing normalisation process of PFF. ” the statement from FIFA read.
This is the third time since 2017 that the Pakistan Football Federation has been suspended. In April 2021, FIFA had previously suspended the PFF due to improper third-party interference, which went against its rules. That suspension was lifted in June 2022 after FIFA’s Normalisation Committee took control of the federation’s operations.
Haroon Malik Comments on the FIFA-PFF Deadlock
Pakistan Football Federation Normalisation Committee Chairman Haroon Malik commented on the suspension, recognizing a deadlock between FIFA and the newly-elected PFF Congress. He said that while FIFA wants to bring Pakistan’s football governance in line with international standards, most members of the Pakistan Football Federation Congress have opposed the proposed changes.
“FIFA wants to make some amendments to the PFF Constitution to bring it in line with international standards. In the recent efforts, the majority of the newly-elected PFF Congress members have not agreed to FIFA’s proposals,” Malik said.
Despite these issues, Pakistan has made progress in football, including reaching the second round of Olympic qualifiers for the first time. However, the suspension means Pakistan’s national teams can no longer compete internationally, and the PFF will not receive support from FIFA. The suspension will only end if the PFF Congress approves the changes to the constitution suggested by FIFA and the AFC. Until then, Pakistan’s football future remains uncertain, with players and fans hoping for a solution.
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“The suspension will only be lifted subject to the PFF Congress approving the version of the PFF Constitution presented by FIFA and the AFC,” the statement from FIFA clarified.
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