KARACHI: Former FIFA referee Ahmed Jan, the longtime caretaker of the KMC Football Stad­ium, died on Wednesday at the age of 73 after a long ailment.

Born in Karachi to a family hailing from the Swat valley, Ahmed dedicated his entire life to football. A goalkeeper for Sindh and the KMC department during his playing days, Ahmed Jan took up refereeing in the 1980s and went on to officiate 13 international fixtures as a FIFA referee in the 1990s.

He later became a refereeing instructor while tending to the KMC Stadium, where he used to live in a small quarter overlooking the pitch.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Pakistan Football Federation offered its condolences over the passing away of its former president, Mian Mohammad Azhar. Mian Azhar died at the age of 82 and was laid to rest on Wednesday.

PFF president Mohsen Gil­ani said Mian Azhar, who hea­ded the body from 1990 to 2003, was “a true patron of football”.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2025