LAHORE: FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have confirmed that the upcoming Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Congress meeting, scheduled for January 24, will solely focus on voting for proposed amendments to the PFF Constitution of 2014.

In a brief press release issued by the PFF Normalisation Committee, it was stated that the two international bodies held a separate session with PFF Congress members, clarifying that the agenda would exclusively include deliberations and voting on the amendments put forward by FIFA and AFC.

“The FIFA and AFC have made it clear that the agenda for the Extraordinary Congress will be limited to voting on the proposed amendments to the PFF Constitution 2014,” the statement read.

The release further highlighted that there was strong support from Congress members for limiting changes to Article 38 of the PFF Constitution, particularly regarding the composition of the Congress and Provincial Executive Committees (EXCOs).

“An overwhelming majority of Congress members have proposed that amendments to Article 38 should be restricted to the Congress and Provincial EXCOs,” it added.

However, concerns were raised by representatives of various departments regarding the potential for increased political influence if the criteria for presidential elections were to be expanded.

Since 2019, FIFA and AFC have been overseeing the PFF under the governance of the Normalisation Committee, with the aim of conducting fresh elections for the federation. Despite efforts, the election process has not yet been completed. The forthcoming PFF Congress meeting is seen as a critical step towards holding these elections, following the completion of elections at the club and provincial levels in 2024.

Published in Dawn, January 23rd, 2025