Asian Cup Qualifiers: Pakistan football team's participation at risk

FIFA’s recent suspension of Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has added to the woes of football fraternity which had already suffered massively during the last 10 years.

The suspension has also put Pakistan’s participation in the 2027 Asian Cup Qualifiers at a huge risk. Pakistan is in Group E with Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar. The matches are scheduled to be played on home and away basis. Pakistan is slated to face Syria on March 25. However, if suspension is not lifted by March 4, 21 days before the game, then as per rules Pakistan’s entry will be considered withdrawn.

And, so, the nation will miss a big opportunity to play against some good teams in the Asian circuit.

Well-placed sources told Nukta that if suspension is lifted in February, then the Normalization Committee will see whether it can field the squad in the qualifiers or not.

“It will then depend on the resources and the time-frame as team also will need to be trained for the purpose,” a source said.

NC gets prior approval of a budget from FIFA for fielding its team in international circuit. Unless FIFA funds NC, participation in any event of the national team is not possible.

FIFA last week suspended the PFF after the newly-elected Congress rejected the proposed amendments in the 2014 PFF Constitution.

Congress had rejected the amendments in its extraordinary meeting on January 24 which was conducted by FIFA and the AFC virtually.

FIFA have made it clear that unless Congress approves the amendments suspension will not be lifted and this has put a lot of pressure on both NC and Congress.

Congress members have also started thinking what to do as its next step would define Pakistan’s football future.

Congress fears if the proposed amendments are approved, especially the amendment of the Article 38 which defines the PFF’s presidency eligibility criteria, some bigwigs could force their way to contest for the PFF’s presidency.

Unlike in the past, the PFF’s presidency is now a lucrative post as FIFA these days have been generously funding their affiliated national federations.

If the presidential eligibility criteria is made wide open, then the existing Congress members will hardly win the elections. In that case a powerful outsider will need to be proposed and seconded by Congress members and this will not be difficult for any major political party and military establishment to bring in their own person as the PFF supremo.

According to sources in order to pave way for lifting suspension NC has requested the government to convince Congress to approve the proposed amendments.

Meanwhile NC’s chairman has been directed by the National Assembly Standing Committee on Inter-Provincial Coordination (IPC) to constitute a Review Committee within 15 days to mediate between NC and Congress on the constitutional amendments proposed by FIFA and the AFC.

The review committee will also work to resolve the issue of suspension of 83 individuals covering compliance with the rules and Constitution of PFF and FIFA.

The standing committee notification says that the Committee has decided to form a sub-committee under the convenorship of Anjum Aqeel Khan, MNA, with Dr Mahreen Razzaq Bhutto and Jamshed Ahmed Dasti as members. The Director General of Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), Deputy Director General of the PSB and Sohaib Hassan will assist the committee.

The Terms of Reference for the sub-committee will be: To examine the selection and eligibility criteria of Congress membership as well as the authority responsible for appointing Congress members; to review the appointment of three controversial women congress members and determine the authority responsible for their selection under the PFF Constitution; to examine the criteria for the election of the PFF president; to assess the eligibility criteria for districts clubs membership; to evaluate FIFA’s mandate for appointing the chairman and members of the Normalization Committee and the extent to which it has achieved its objectives and to make recommendations for FIFA.

The sub-committee has been advised to submit its report within 15 days and Standing Committee will review it in its next meeting which will be held soon.

NC’s outgoing chairman Haroon Malik had attended the February 6 Standing Committee meeting.

Although FIFA have extended the mandate of NC until July 31 but how it will handle its affairs and its Secretariat during suspension is a big issue.

NC is in constant communication with FIFA in this connection. As FIFA will not fund NC during the suspension then keeping the entire staff will become too tough for it.

NC may opt for the skeleton staff then, which could match its future requirements.

Nukta has learnt that NC has also got some funds from FIFA and it will be in a position in the next few days to clear dues of some players and officials for certain international events.

So, this is a big plus for some players who have served Pakistan in the last couple of years in international circuit.

The newly-elected NC chairman Saud Hashmi will also get charge from the outgoing chairman Haroon Malik whose contract has not been extended by FIFA. Haroon’s contract expires on February 15.

Sources said if suspension is lifted in the next few days, then NC can hold the PFF’s elections even well before the expiry of its mandate.