PFF to pay equal wages to women, men footballers

KARACHI: Pakistan on Monday joined a unique group of the international football community that will provide equal wages to its women and men football team.

Haroon Malik, the head of Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) normalisation committee, confirmed to Geo News that women footballers in Pakistan will be paid as much as the men's team.

He confirmed that both men's and women's team members will get an allowance of $150 on international match days and $75 on non-match days.

Additionally, players will also be paid up to Rs400,000 for attending national camps.

“All initial participants, likely around 35, will get Rs100,000 and those shortlisted will be paid an additional Rs300,000 for the month-long camp, which will make it Rs400,000 for most of the participants,” he said.

Haroon said that it is very important that players who represent Pakistan deserve to be paid well, regardless of their gender.

“When you represent your country then there's no reason not to pay equally regardless of gender. There should be no difference,” Haroon said.

“Women sports should be encouraged. Athletes deserve to be well looked after, they sacrifice their life and everything for country, they deserve to be respected and compensated appropriately,” chairman of PPF's normalisation committee added.

Haroon confirmed that players in the ongoing national women camp are being paid the same amount and they'll earn according to the new policy during next month's South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship.

He confirmed that Pakistan's men football team's activity will start by end of August.