![Exciting showdown on cards as PFF to elect new president today [The News]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/PFF-flag.jpg "Exciting showdown on cards as PFF to elect new president today [The News]")
by Abdul Mohi Shah
ISLAMABAD: A thrilling showdown is set to unfold in Lahore today (Tuesday) as the race for presidency of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) entered its decisive phase.
In what promises to be one of the most hotly contested elections in recent memory, razor-thin margins could determine the next head of Pakistan’s football governing body — with just a single vote likely to tip the balance. According to well-placed sources, the PFF Congress is bracing for a nail-biting election day, as two formidable factions lock horns in a high-stakes battle for supremacy.
On one side stands Taha Ali Zai, spearheading Zahir Shah group, which has consolidated significant backing, including unanimous support from all departmental teams, two members from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the full bloc of three from Balochistan, and a key vote from Punjab.
Ali Zai’s strategic acumen was on full display during a recent gathering in Islamabad, where he paraded 13 out of the 24 total votes — a show of force sealed with a united group photograph of his loyalists.
Challenging this formidable front is an emerging alliance between Syed Mohsin Gilani and Hafiz Zakaullah, who have pooled their resources in a last-minute push to shift the electoral tide.
Banking on votes from Sindh, female members of the Congress, representatives from the women’s champion team, referees, and a couple of crucial Punjab votes, Gilani has stepped into the fray as the chief rival to Ali Zai. His camp remains hopeful that with just two defections from the opposing bloc, the tide could turn dramatically in their favor.
Rumours have swirled around the Gilani-Zakaullah pact, suggesting a power-sharing arrangement in which Gilani might only serve the first year as president, paving the way for Zakaullah to take over for the remaining three years.
However, insiders close to Gilani dismissed such speculation, indicating that should he succeed, he intends to complete the full four-year term. Despite the optimism, overcoming Ali Zai’s entrenched position will be a herculean task. With the backing of powerful departments and institutional forces, his campaign has emerged as the more structured and disciplined of the two — a fact that has not gone unnoticed within football circles.
Adding to the intrigue is the unusual structure of the elections. While there is no official position of senior vice president, one of the elected vice presidents is expected to assume the role informally. The House of 24 will also vote to elect three vice presidents, three services representatives, and two executive members from each province, rounding out the 14 key positions up for grabs.
For over a decade, the PFF has remained mired in controversy, internal divisions, and repeated foreign intervention. The FIFA has stepped in on multiple occasions, appointing three separate normalization committees to bring order to the federation. Years of instability, legal wrangling, and administrative limbo have left Pakistani football languishing on the sidelines of regional and international competition.
Tuesday’s election represents not only a potential changing of the guard but also a rare opportunity to restore credibility to the sport’s highest office in the country. As Lahore prepares for this pivotal vote, football fans, stakeholders, and observers await with bated breath — hoping that a new chapter in Pakistan’s football history is finally about to be written.