KARACHI: The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee, in an unprecedented move, appointed a female general secretary on Monday.

Manizeh Zainli, who has a background in education and management, will take up the role with immediate effect, the Humza Khan-led PFF announced while also naming officials for the provincial bodies as well as the disciplinary and appeals committees.

Zainli becomes the first female to hold a senior executive position in the history of the PFF. The only other female to hold a senior position was Nadia Naqvi, who was the PFF’s finance director.

With Zainli’s appointment, Harris Jamil Alam will leave his post as acting general secretary and will now be the deputy general secretary.

The PFF Normalisation Committee was appointed by global football body FIFA in September last year, ending a long-running feud between two factions for control of country’s football governing body.

The Normalisation Committee has to hold fresh elections of the PFF by June this year and a first step towards the electoral process was announced on Monday with the appointments of the provincial bodies in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The officials of from Punjab and Islamabad will be named later, the PFF said.

The provincial normalisation committees are to conduct the club scrutiny, laying the platform for the elections at district level.

“As of September 17, 2019 [when the PFF Normalisation Committee was announced], all Provincial, Regional and district Football Associations had accordingly ceased to exist,” the PFF said in news release.

“However, certain Provincial Associations have continued to operate, and in some cases have taken decisions in violation of PFF NC Directives (in relation to which disciplinary action will separately be initiated). This is to confirm that all Provincial, Regional and District Associations stand dissolved.

“Members of the remaining Provincial/Regional PFAs will be announced in due course. The Chairmen/General Secretaries of the dissolved Provincial / Regional bodies should hand over all records including records/data of all clubs, bank accounts/statements/cheque books, records of Goal Projects and all other relevant records to the respective Provincial/Regional NCs latest by February 19.

“The General Secretaries of the Provincial/Regional PFAs who should also have previously ceased to act, will, in any event, also cease to act as such, and the Provincial/Regional NCs may appoint General Secretaries at their discretion.”

Abdul Manan, Sardar Mohammad, Adil Kausar, Ali Ahmed and Sohail Ahmed have been appointed as members of the Balochistan NC while Basit Kamal, Azmatullah, Mohammad Saeed, Mohammad Imran and Ijaz Khan were named members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Meanwhile, Khowaja Obaid Ilyas, Khurram K. Jamali, Qasim Jamal, Mohammad Danish and Najaf Iqbal Hussain will be the members of the Sindh NC.

Omer Soomro has been named chairman of the disciplinary committee with Faisal Grewal and Syed Amin Fakir to be members of the three-man committee.

Aizaz Ahsan will lead the appeals committee with Kashif Mayo and Mamoon Chaudhary being the members.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2020