Islamabad, Nov 13: Pakistan Sports Board Issues Warning to PFF Over ‘Unauthorized’ Meeting. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has requested that the Normalization Committee (NC) of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) cancel its intentions to hold an Extraordinary Congress meeting on November 19, suggesting instead to follow the constitutionally required procedure of first notifying the office-bearers from the provincial associations.
In a direct letter to NC Chairman Haroon Malik, the PSB challenged Malik’s claim of acting as the PFF president, a position that is currently vacant within the existing legal framework of the PFF. “Without an officially recognized PFF president, organizing an Extraordinary Congress meeting constitutes a clear breach of the PFF’s Constitution,” the PSB stated.
The PSB further pointed out that representatives from the provincial associations have not yet been formally notified, rendering the Congress incomplete. “Holding this meeting without informing these office-bearers is not only undemocratic but also unlawful,” the letter indicated.
The PSB expressed concerns regarding Malik’s representation as the PFF’s president, as mentioned in his letter dated November 5, 2024. “This contradicts FIFA’s directive, which designated you solely to chair the NC and manage the election process, not to take on the role of PFF president,” the PSB argued.
Assigned to assist the PFF with crucial operations, club registrations, and fair elections, Malik and the NC now seem, according to the PSB, to be overreaching into legislative areas that could turn the NC into a policymaking body.
The PSB’s letter cautioned that the NC’s choice to hold an Extraordinary Congress could jeopardize the stability of football governance in Pakistan. They also raised worries about unclarified changes to the PFF Constitution, noting that such modifications might enable Malik to run for the PFF presidency, creating “a clear conflict of interest and a breach of the IOC’s principles of proper governance.”
Moreover, the PSB expressed discomfort over reports suggesting that a FIFA and AFC delegation would be present at the Extraordinary Congress, a situation they argued could be used by the NC to validate contentious constitutional changes that could favor certain groups. The PFF and PSB have had previous disputes, and this recent wave of legal issues is likely to widen the existing rift.
