![NA body seeks cricket’s return to IPC Ministry, strict FIFA reforms [The News]](https://footballpakistan.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/PFF-delegation-with-NA-Committee-on-IPC.jpg "NA body seeks cricket’s return to IPC Ministry, strict FIFA reforms [The News]")
by Abdul Mohi Shah
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) has recommended bringing cricket back under the administrative control of the IPC Ministry and called for strict implementation of FIFA reforms and necessary amendments to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) laws.
The committee members expressed serious concern over Pakistan’s declining performance in international sports, observing that poor results in cricket, hockey and other disciplines had brought embarrassment to the country at the international level.
The recommendations were made during a meeting of the committee, chaired by Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto at Parliament House, where members reviewed the development of football and the overall state of sports in Pakistan, with particular focus on hockey and cricket.
PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani briefed the committee on the federation’s ongoing initiatives and said FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) were working with Pakistan to bring about a major transformation in the country’s football structure.
Gilani said AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa had recently visited Pakistan and held meetings with the Prime Minister and other senior government officials. He added that Pakistan’s plans for the promotion and development of football had also been presented at the United Nations.
He informed the committee that the FIFA Arena pitch had been completed and would be inaugurated by the Prime Minister. Gilani acknowledged the government’s support and expressed confidence that the federation’s initiatives would yield positive results.
“Football in Pakistan remained in a state of decline for a long time. We now have to work together to bring the sport back to its former glory,” Gilani said. Highlighting recent progress, the PFF president said Pakistan had won a football trophy after 74 years and had also participated in a FIFA event for the first time. He said the PFF had requested FIFA to establish a youth academy in each province and was also preparing to organise inter-school football competitions across the country for the first time.
Gilani said a comprehensive five-year strategy had also been prepared for the development of women’s football. He pointed out that Pakistan’s women’s national team currently had a better FIFA ranking than the men’s side, which, he said, reflected the growing potential of women’s football in the country.
The committee recommended amendments to the PFF laws and directed the federation to ensure full implementation of FIFA reforms. Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto assured the football authorities of all possible support for the promotion and development of the sport, saying parliamentarians and all stakeholders wanted to see sports flourish in Pakistan.
The committee also expressed concern over the declining standards of hockey and cricket. Committee member Waseem Qadir identified the shortage of proper playing grounds as one of the major reasons behind the decline of hockey. He observed that unlike cricket, hockey and football could not be played effectively in streets and stressed the need for provincial governments to take responsibility for developing and maintaining sports grounds.
Another committee member, Anjum Aqeel, voiced concern over the decline of cricket in the country. Mehreen Bhutto said Pakistan had faced international embarrassment because of its cricket affairs and proposed that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) be removed from the Cabinet Division and placed under the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination.
The Federal Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination stressed that all sports federations in Pakistan must comply with the rules and regulations of their respective international governing bodies.
He said FIFA had also introduced reforms to its regulations and noted that international sports organisations were increasingly ensuring greater representation of women in their governing structures.