FIFA suspends Pakistan Football Federation over failure to adopt revised constitution

This is the Pakistan Football Federation’s third suspension since 2017.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has once again faced suspension from FIFA after failing to adopt the necessary constitutional amendments required for fair and democratic elections. The global football governing body announced the decision on Thursday, citing the PFF’s inability to meet its obligations under FIFA’s normalisation process.

In its statement, FIFA clarified that the suspension was imposed due to the PFF Congress failing to adapt to proposed revisions to the federation’s constitution. These amendments, recommended by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), were aimed at improving governance and ensuring transparency in electoral procedures. However, the elected congress of the PFF refused to implement the changes, resulting in immediate sanctions.

“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.

Pakistan Football Federation’s third suspension since 2017

This marks the third time since 2017 that the Pakistan Football Federation has been suspended. In April 2021, FIFA had previously taken similar action due to undue third-party interference, which violated its regulations. That suspension was only lifted in June 2022 after FIFA’s Normalisation Committee regained control over the federation’s operations.

Speaking about the suspension, PFF Normalisation Committee Chairman Haroon Malik acknowledged a deadlock between FIFA and the newly-elected PFF Congress. He stated that while FIFA is keen on aligning Pakistan’s football governance with international standards, most members of the PFF Congress have resisted the proposed amendments.

“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 administrative challenges, Pakistan has recently made strides in international football. The country participated in the Olympic qualifiers for the first time and advanced to the second round. However, the latest suspension means that Pakistan’s national teams will now be barred from competing in international tournaments, and the Pakistan Football Federation will no longer receive financial or technical assistance from FIFA.

The suspension will only be lifted if the PFF Congress approves the revised constitution as proposed by FIFA and the AFC. Until then, Pakistan’s footballing future remains uncertain, with its players and fans left hoping for a resolution that brings stability to the sport in the country.

“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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