FIFA slams PFF Congress members

KARACHI: FIFA has blamed the members of PFF Congress while suspending the Pakistan Football Federation for another time, FIFA has cited PFF’s failure to adopt constitutional revisions necessary for free and democratic elections, the global governing body said in a letter to PFF Normalization Committee Chairman Haroon Malik.

FIFA’s letter, obtained by Geo News, criticized PFF Congress members for rejecting the proposed constitutional amendments, arguing that their stance threatened the integrity of the federation’s electoral process.

“The proposal submitted by the majority of PFF Congress members to restrict eligibility criteria for the position of PFF president would significantly reduce the pool of candidates and would go against the spirit of the Bureau’s decision to ensure free and democratic elections,” FIFA said in the letter.

According to FIFA’s letter, a majority of PFF Congress members on Jan. 20, 2025, wrote to the normalization committee rejecting the version of the PFF Constitution presented on Nov. 18, 2024, by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The Congress members insisted that only current members of the PFF Congress should be eligible to run for PFF president and requested that the relevant changes be discussed during the PFF Congress on Jan. 24.

However, on Jan. 21, FIFA informed PFF Congress members that the agenda for the congress could no longer be amended and that only the changes previously submitted by the normalization committee would be considered and put to a vote.

FIFA noted that Congress members were unwilling to implement reforms essential for a transparent electoral process. “Despite FIFA and the AFC’s efforts to explain the importance of these constitutional changes, the Bureau noted that a majority of members insist on limiting the eligibility criteria, jeopardizing the fairness and integrity of the upcoming PFF Executive Committee elections,” the letter stated.

The News reviewed the proposed amendments, including a clause regarding eligibility to contest the PFF presidential election. The amendment recommended that: “A candidate for the office of the PFF president shall have played an active role in football management at any level (e.g., as an official within PFF, at provincial/regional level, district level, or within a club) or as a player for at least two of the preceding five years before being proposed as a candidate.”

FIFA appointed a normalization committee in 2019 to oversee electoral and governance reforms in PFF. However, internal disputes and external factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, repeatedly delayed the process.

In January 2025, the normalization committee scheduled an Extraordinary PFF Congress for Jan. 24 to approve the revised constitution. Four days before the meeting, a majority of PFF Congress members rejected the proposed amendments, insisting that only current members of Congress should be eligible to run for the PFF presidency.

On Jan. 24, the PFF Congress convened virtually, and 19 out of 25 members voted against the FIFA-backed reforms, leading to FIFA’s decision to suspend the federation. FIFA has stated that the suspension will remain in effect until the PFF Congress approves the constitution drafted in collaboration with FIFA and the AFC.