FIFA, AFC, Pak govt officials to meet in Dubai in December

LAHORE: The meeting between FIFA, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), Pakistan government and PFF Normalisation Committee is likely to be held in Dubai in early December.

According to sources the meeting is expected to be held most probably in the second week of December in Dubai.

FIFA had proposed a meeting with the Pakistan government officials in Dubai from September 11-13 in a letter it wrote in July but due to busy schedule of officials of various parties it could not be held. Sources said that in December the meeting is highly expected and very soon the details will be confirmed.

A government official had told The News in September that due to financial issues they would like to hold a virtual meeting with the world football body and the AFC.

Sources said that the meeting would help the government officials know exactly the situation and the electoral process of the PFF. FIFA had clarified that the purpose of the meeting is to discuss in detail the current situation of the PFF and the future of football in Pakistan when the Normalisation Committee leaves.

This correspondent understands that after completing the registration of clubs NC has started conducting clubs scrutiny which seems to be the most difficult phase of the entire electoral process.

So far scrutiny of clubs in 45 districts has been conducted as per authentic details obtained by this correspondent. Initially there were 88 districts in the country where scrutiny had to be conducted but now this number is expected to increase to 120 which means that so far 33 percent scrutiny has been conducted.

Sources said that NC expects to complete the clubs scrutiny by the end of December. Sources said that NC also foresees start of district elections by early January 2024

However, sources said that in some districts with no issues NC can start elections even before January. Sources said that NC expects that before March 2024 it will be able to hold the elections at the provincial level.

FIFA has given March 15 as deadline to the PFF NC to complete the electoral process of the PFF. NC has already announced the Pakistan Football Referees Association (PFRA) elections this month. The elected body will then cast vote in the PFF elections which is its constitutional right.

The PFRA former chairman Qazi Mohammad Asif, meanwhile, has raised serious objections over the electoral procedure in a letter written to the PFF NC chairman Haroon Malik and FIFA and AFC. A copy of the letter is in possession of this correspondent.

It is pertinent to mention here that FIFA installed NC in September 2019 with the aim to conduct the PFF elections. However, due to various issues NC failed to meet the given mandate several times. However, NC now seems to have taken the task seriously and is expected to complete the process in the next few months which will help the country’s football get its elected PFF.