ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday showed displeasure on the FIFA-appointed Pakistan Football Federation Normalisation Committee for not providing the required information regarding the elections at the federal, provincial and district levels.
“The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coordination [which met here at Parliament with Muhammad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel in the chair] expressed dissatisfaction with the inadequate preparation of the management in delivering a comprehensive presentation on the agenda concerning the recent elections conducted by the Pakistan Football Federation at the federal, provincial, and district levels,” an official statement read.
The Committee directed the PFF NC, headed by Haroon Malik, to include details in the next briefing regarding the eligibility of voters for the election, decisions on appeals by individuals or bodies banned by the PFF during the elections, and the orders of the Supreme Court.
The Committee has also instructed the PFF and the Pakistan Sports Board to ensure the briefing and working papers are submitted at least three days prior to the next committee meeting.
The NC, which last year saw its mandate extended till Feb 15 to conduct the elections of the country’s football governing body, has called an Extraordinary Congress on Jan 23 to make amendments to the PFF Constitution before the presidential elections take place.
An earlier attempt to hold the Extraordinary Congress on Nov 19 was thwarted when four departments raised an objection regarding their exclusion from the meeting.
Officials of FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation were in Lahore for the November meeting. This month’s Congress, however, will be an online event.
FIFA is pushing for some amendments to the PFF Constitution, most notably regarding the candidacy for the president.
It is being proposed that an open election is held where any football official or ex-player nominated by a single Congress member is eligible to run.
Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025
