ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) president Syed Mohsen Gilani has pledged to push for greater representation of all football stakeholders in the federation’s new constitution, distancing himself from any move that would concentrate more power in the president’s office.

Speaking at a press conference here after a two-day governance workshop organised with FIFA and AFC support, Mohsen sought to set the tone for the ongoing constitutional review.

“I am not interested in constitutional reforms that give me more power as president,” he said. “I will fight for greater representation of football stakeholders in the new PFF constitution.”

Mohsen emphasised that the revised statutes should meaningfully include women’s football, futsal, beach soccer, eFootball, provincial associations, clubs and other key stakeholders.

The workshop, led by FIFA’s Head of Member Associations Governance Rolf Tanner and AFC Senior Manager Sonam Jigmi, focused on aligning Pakistan’s football governance with international best practices.

Tanner noted positive engagement during the sessions, saying participants actively raised concerns and sought clarifications, which helped build understanding and confidence in the reform process.

The reforms go beyond the national level; once the new PFF constitution is adopted, similar exercises will be conducted at provincial and eventually district levels to create a uniform governance structure across the country.

The push for modernisation follows repeated FIFA directives to update statutes last comprehensively revised in 2014.

Discussions covered democratic representation, institutional independence, electoral procedures, integrity mechanisms, financial oversight and stakeholder participation.

In a significant move, the PFF plans to strengthen provincial football associations by facilitating the appointment of professional general secretaries to improve administrative capacity and support development programmes.

PFF officials described the process as consultative, with further stakeholder engagements planned involving provincial bodies, clubs and specialised sectors before finalising the document.

These announcements come against a backdrop of chronic instability that has long plagued Pakistan football. The federation has faced multiple FIFA suspensions, normalisation committees, court interventions and allegations of political interference over the past decade.

Domestic leagues have been irregular, infrastructure development slow, and the national team’s international performances have suffered as administrative crises overshadowed sporting progress.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2026