Islamabad, Feb 6: Haroon Malik, Chairman of the FIFA-appointed Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee, recently briefed the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) about the potential consequences of the ongoing deadlock between FIFA and the newly elected PFF Congress. He warned that FIFA might conditionally suspend Pakistan if the issue is not resolved.
The deadlock stems from disagreements over proposed amendments to the PFF Constitution that FIFA wants to align with international standards. Malik explained that the majority of the newly-elected members of the PFF Congress have not agreed to these proposals, which has led to this potential suspension. Such an outcome would have serious implications, including Pakistan losing its international participation in football and the cessation of FIFA’s financial support to the PFF.
During his briefing, Malik also shared details about the election process within the PFF, noting that elections had been completed from the district level upwards, with the newly-elected Congress members set to oversee the next phase of football governance in Pakistan.
Additionally, he highlighted that for the first time, Pakistan Football Federation participated in the 2023 Olympic qualifiers and managed to advance to the second round. The Standing Committee appreciated these efforts, recognizing the progress made in promoting football at the Olympic level.
