PFF moot postponed as Pakistan football continues to remain in a state of flux [Nukta]

by Alam Zeb Safi

Pakistan football continues to remain in a state of flux as the authorities had to postpone the PFF Extraordinary Congress meeting on Tuesday at a time when all the members had been seated for the vital session at the Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore.

The purpose of the meeting was the amendment in the PFF Constitution Article 38 which carries the eligibility criteria for the PFF’s president.

The representatives of three departments including Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Navy and Police forced their way into the meeting hall. However, they were told that they cannot sit as they have not been invited as they don’t meet the eligibility criteria for Congress members.

However, these departments representatives told the meeting that they fulfill the criteria and, being congress members, they would not leave the meeting and it will not be held without them.

On this the representatives of PFF Normalization Committee, FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) held a separate meeting to negotiate this issue and it was decided to postpone the meeting for the time being.

An insider told Nukta that Navy’s representative had also come for the workshop on Monday but he was told that he cannot attend it as Navy don’t fall in the criteria. Sources said that only Army, WAPDA and HEC had been invited.

However, HEC had changed its representative and he was told that he cannot sit in the meeting as his name was not there in the list.

Sources said that the congress members were told that the meeting will be rescheduled in a few days. According to sources, the delegation of FIFA and the AFC was of the view that the set deadline of December 15, 2024, will be met and elections of the PFF will be conducted by then.

Nukta understands that PAF had also written a letter to NC a few days ago stating that being congress member NC should extend it invitation for the meeting.

Reservations over women members

Sources said that the newly-elected Congress also has its reservations on the three women members of the Congress which were named by NC Chairman Haroon Malik.

A legal expert says that although the PFF constitution is silent but when such a situation exists then the normal past tradition will be followed. The PFF president will nominate three women and it will be approved by Congress. President cannot directly notify three women directly as Congress members.

Sources said that all provinces and Islamabad have firm commitment that they will not accept these three women members including barrister Maryam Omar, Ayesha Amir Khan and Eshrat Fatima unless they come through a constitutional process.

Insiders told Nukta that NC, FIFA and AFC want to make the eligibility criteria wide open for the PFF presidency. However, Congress does not want it, the source said. It wants to restrict the eligibility criteria to the elected 13 Congress members from four provinces and Islamabad.

Sources said that there is also a plan-B which newly-elected Congress can bring in if the first option was not accepted by FIFA, AFC and NC, which will propose the necessary amendments. However, sources said that it is highly likely that Congress will disapprove the proposed amendments of the Normalization Committee, with input from FIFA and the AFC, which wants to make the eligibility criteria wide open.

A new debate has been opened with the development and it could create a big issue in the way of the PFF’s president elections process which must be completed by December 15.

Sources said that congress members attended the meeting on their own traveling and boarding expenses.

Those who were present in the meeting hall include:

Azam Khan, Kifayatullah and Muhammad Siddique (all Sindh),

Jamil Ahmed Sarparah, Nasar Ullah and Abdul Malik (all Balochistan),

Syed Zahir Ali Shah, Nasar Ullah Khan, and Asghar Khan (all Khyber Pakhtunkhwa),

Naveed Aslam Khan Lodhi, Zaka Ullah and Raja Muhammad Ishtiaq (all Punjab),

Sheikh Ahmed Rehan (Islamabad), Muhammad Habib (WAPDA), Lt Col Syed Ghayoor Ali Hamdani (Army),

Barrister Maryam Omar, Ayesha Amir Khan and Eshrat Fatima (women members), Mohammad Shafiq (PFRA) and Adeel Rizki (representative Women Champions Club).

Published in Nukta, 19 November 2024