KARACHI: The FIFA-appointed Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee held an indoor football event in Islamabad to celebrate the International Women’s Day on Sunday.

The event was part of Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) celebration of Women’s Football Day, although this year the Asia’s football governing body had advised its member associations to take precautions or postpone the celebrations due to the global coronavirus outbreak.

The PFF Normalisation Committee, therefore, and due to rain in the capital, downsized the event in collaboration with the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) held at the Hameedi Hall in Liaquat Gymnasium at the Pakistan Sports Complex which saw schoolgirls take part.

In a statement on Sunday, PFF Normalisation Committee chairman Humza Khan and general secretary Manizeh Zainli said that “increasing women’s participation both in administration and as officials/players was high on its agenda”.

The officials stressed that they had also taken steps towards potentially launching a women’s league in the future.

“While it may not happen during the PFF NC’s tenure [which ends in June], chairman Humza Khan had directed the administration to start the process of setting up of national women’s league later in the year, for which the input of all women’s football stakeholders would be taken including the Head of Women’s Wing and leading players / officials,” the statement added.

Manizeh’s appointment as the PFF general secretary made her only one of six female general secretaries around Asia. And the AFC said that underlines “their commitment to ensure greater diversity and gender parity in leadership and decision-making.”

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2020