ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Problems continue to mount for the Pakistan Football Federation Normalisation Committee, especially with regards to its relations with the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.
In the latest move, IPC minister Ehsan ur Rehman Mazari asked a parliamentary panel on Tuesday to put the name of PFF NC chairman Haroon Malik on the exit control list to restrain him from “fleeing the country”.
Over recent weeks, it has become pretty evident that there is no love lost between the IPC minister and the FIFA-appointed PFF NC chief with Mazari claiming that Haroon had reneged on his promise to hold elections of the country’s football governing body, which has been mired in crisis and controversy since 2015.
On Tuesday, Mazari asked the Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination, which met in Islamabad with MNA Nawab Sher in the chair, to put Haroon on the stop list until an audit of his tenure is completed.
Normalisation Committee to continue with same composition, says FIFA
The standing committee, in turn, strongly recommended the government to put Haroon, who is also a Canadian national, on the ECL.
The IPC minister is also keen on having an audit of the PFF NC conducted through the Auditor General of Pakistan and recently wrote to FIFA to make changes to the NC.
The mandate of the PFF NC, first reported by Dawn, has been extended till March 15 next year but the government is still waiting for a reply from FIFA to accept the extension.
“So far, the only reply we have received from FIFA is that it will send a written response to us soon,” Mazari told Dawn on Tuesday.
Earlier on Tuesday, a FIFA spokesperson told Dawn that a reply had been sent to the government with the NC set to continue with the same composition.
“FIFA and AFC have replied to the government,” the spokesperson said. “The mandate of the normalisation committee is extended until 15 March 2024 with the same composition.”
At the standing committee meeting, MNA Rubina Irfan said that NC’s tenure, which was last year extended to June 30, had lapsed and there should be a special audit before Haroon leaves the office.
For now, though, Haroon is set to stay although Dawn understands that FIFA expects the NC to complete the PFF election process by the end of the latest extension.
Haroon didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment by Dawn.
Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2023
