Revision of PFF Statutes on the cards ahead of elections

Pakistan football’s electoral affairs have entered into a decisive phase. With the elections at the districts and provincial level already conducted, Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalization Committee has to hold the elections by the set deadline of December 15. But before that the revision of the PFF Statutes 2014 is on the cards.

FIFA-appointed Normalization Committee has convened the PFF Extraordinary Congress on November 19 at the Pearl Continental Hotel Lahore. The meeting will begin at 11am and it will also be attended by the representatives from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

The letter, which NC has written to the departments, says that the Extraordinary Congress is called in response to the letter from the FIFA Council dated March 14, 2024, which mandates a partial amendment to the PFF Statutes (2014).

The pertinent section of the mandate letter was also reproduced for reference, which stated that “finally, in view of certain provisions of the current PFF Constitution (in particular article 38) that greatly restrict the pool of potential candidates that can legitimately run in the elections of the PFF executive committee, the FIFA and AFC administrations have concluded that in order to guarantee that the upcoming PFF elections can be considered truly fair and democratic, a partial revision of the PFF Constitution is needed before the elective PFF Congress can take place. As a result, the Council also decided to include this additional task to the mandate of the Normalization Committee.”

Now the thing is that NC has only been mandated to propose the much-needed partial amendments in the PFF statutes, with somewhat inputs from both FIFA and the AFC in the proposition, but it is the Congress which is the sole authority to approve the amendments.

Even International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is the supreme world’s sports governing body, recognizes the general councils of the federations and associations as the main legislative bodies.

When Pakistan government was trying to impose the tenure-restriction clause of its sports policy on the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) a decade ago, the IOC advised POA to hold its general council meeting which will decide whether POA would need a tenure restriction clause or not. The POA held its general council meeting and it decided that there is no need of any tenure restriction clause for the POA office-bearers including its president.

Nukta has reliably learnt that FIFA is also interested in widening the eligibility scope for contesting the elections of the PFF’s presidency so that more people could vie for the coveted slot. However, this correspondent understands if such thing happens then it will be too detrimental as it will open doors to further political penetration. It will be a high risk for the voters who have spent their entire life in serving football.

According to PFF there are approximately 6,000 registered clubs in its system. These clubs are the real stakeholders of football which have elected their representatives in the provincial elections which were conducted recently. These representatives have already provided the pool for the next electoral candidacy. Yes, the circle may be extended to the individuals who have served for a certain period at the relevant higher platforms of football.

Now question arises that in the absence of the PFF president who will chair the PFF extraordinary congress meeting. So, it is clear that as NC has the powers of the PFF Executive Committee so its chairman Haroon Malik will chair it who is in other sense is the PFF president.

This correspondent has learnt that departments with voting rights have already been sent the invite for the Extraordinary Congress while provinces will also receive the invitation very soon.

All the post-provincial elections appeals have been disposed of by the PFF appeal committee and there is no change in the results of the provincial elections conducted in October at Lahore’s Ramada Hotel.

Nukta has learnt that Army, WAPDA and Higher Education Commission (HEC) are among those that have already sent their nominations to the PFF NC for the Extraordinary Congress.

There are 26 members of the PFF Congress. Provinces have three votes each while there is a vote of Pakistan Football Referees Association (PFRA), WAPDA, Army, Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Navy, Police, Higher Education Commission (HEC), Railways, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), women national champions, Islamabad and three women seats.

Can Haroon Malik contest the elections?

Many football stakeholders fear that Canada-based Haroon Malik is interested to become the PFF president, although he has dispelled this impression even at his last press conference at the PFF headquarters last month.

This correspondent understands that he cannot contest the elections and FIFA will not allow him to do so. The contract which FIFA have offered to the Normalization Committee also forbids the NC members to contest the elections.

If FIFA, for example, allows any member of the Normalization Committee to contest the elections of the PFF presidency then it will create a big issue for FIFA itself as this trend will destabilize its entire future normalization process and nobody will trust it.

NC is basically an electoral committee with executive powers and there is no way that its members can be allowed to contest elections for any post.

Haroon is also a dual national and even Pakistan’s political system does not allow dual nationals to contest elections as it naturally is considered a threat to the national interest.

According to sources, without any further delay, FIFA wants NC to complete the electoral process inside the stipulated mandate which is December 15, 2024.