Ban on PFF set to be lifted after congress approves constitutional amendments

As expected, the newly-elected Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Congress on Thursday approved the proposed amendments in the 2014 PFF Constitution with an overwhelming majority.

This also paved way for lifting of Pakistan’s suspension by FIFA. Pakistan was suspended early this month when Congress rejected the proposed amendments.

Congress took the much-needed decision in its extraordinary meeting conducted by the PFF Normalization Committee at the Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore. A delegation of FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) also attended the meeting.

“Congress endorsed FIFA’s proposed amendments in the best interest of Pakistan football, paving the way for the national team’s participation in the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers following the expected lifting of FIFA’s suspension,” PFF press release said.

FIFA’s Rolf Tanner and AFC’s representatives Vahid Kardany, Purushottam Kattel, Sonam Jigmi and Dinish De Silva attended the meeting chaired by NC’s chairman Saud Hashmi.

AFC Deputy General Secretary Vahid Kardany commended the intention of Congress members regarding bringing the necessary reforms within Pakistan football. He also applauded the efforts of the Normalization Committee in facilitating the process.

This was the third meeting of the PFF Congress. The first was held on November 19 last year and was postponed due to various reasons.

The second meeting was conducted virtually on January 24 in which Congress rejected the proposed amendments in the PFF Constitution 2014.

And it was followed by suspension with clear warning from FIFA that unless the proposed draft is approved suspension will not be lifted.

According to sources FIFA and AFC delegation will submit the report with FIFA Bureau and it is expected that in the next couple of days suspension could be lifted.

Sources said that they had already prepared the report and it would not take more time in submitting its report.

Amendment in the Article 38 is very important. This relates to the eligibility criteria for the PFF president.

An unofficial document of the proposed amendments which has been obtained by Nuktareflects that the criteria for the PFF’s president eligibility has been made a bit wide as compared to the previous criteria with limited scope.

“The president shall be elected by Congress for a period of four years and may be re-elected. For election of the president two-third of votes recorded and valid are necessary in the first ballot. In the second and any other required ballot an absolute majority of more than 50 percent of total voting members of the electoral college is sufficient. If there are more than two candidates the candidate that obtains the lowest number of votes will be eliminated from the second ballot unless only two candidates are left,” the document says.

“Only the PFF Congress members may propose candidates for the office of the PFF President. A candidate for the office of the PFF President shall have played an active role in football management and organization at any level e.g. as an official within PFF, at the provincial/regional level, district level or within a club) or as a player for at least two of the preceding five years before being proposed as a candidate.”

“The PFF Secretariate shall notify the name of the proposed candidates to PFF Congress members at least 10 days before the date of Election of Congress,” the document says.

This correspondent tried to connect with the PFF NC members for their official input but no one received calls.

“I am busy in guests’ departure,” an NC’s member said.