NA body seeks more details from NC on PFF elections [Dawn]

NA body seeks more details from NC on PFF elections [Dawn]

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel on Friday showed displeasure on the FIFA-appointed Pakistan Football Federation Norm­a­lisation Committee for not providing the required inf­o­r­mation regarding the ele­ctions at the federal, provincial and district levels.

“The National Assem­bly’s Standing Committee on Inter Provincial Coor­dination [which met here at Parliament with Muha­mmad Sanaullah Khan Mastikhel in the chair] expressed dissatisfaction with the inadequate preparation of the management in delivering a comprehensive presentation on the agenda concerning the recent elections conducted by the Pakistan Football Feder­ation at the federal, provincial, and district levels,” an official statement read.

Sanaullah Mastikhel of NA Standing Committee on IPC

The Committee dire­cted the PFF NC, headed by Haroon Malik, to incl­ude details in the next briefing regarding the eligibility of voters for the election, decisions on appeals by individuals or bodies ban­ned by the PFF during the elections, and the orders of the Supreme Court.

The Committee has also instructed the PFF and the Pakistan Sports Board to ensure the briefing and working papers are submitted at least three days prior to the next committee meeting.

The NC, which last year saw its mandate extended till Feb 15 to conduct the elections of the country’s football governing body, has called an Extrao­rdinary Congress on Jan 23 to make amendments to the PFF Constitution before the presidential elections take place.

An earlier attempt to hold the Extraordinary Con­gress on Nov 19 was thwarted when four depar­tments raised an objection regarding their exclusion from the meeting.

Officials of FIFA and the Asian Football Confe­deration were in Lahore for the November meeting. This month’s Cong­ress, however, will be an online event.

FIFA is pushing for some amendments to the PFF Constitution, most notably regarding the candidacy for the president.

It is being proposed that an open election is held where any football official or ex-player nominated by a single Congress member is eligible to run.

Published in Dawn, January 11th, 2025