FIFA suspends Pakistan Football Federation
FIFA on Wednesday suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) with immediate effect due to third-party interference.
In a statement, the global body said that third-party inference was a serious violation of the FIFA statutes.
“This situation was prompted by the recent hostile takeover of the PFF headquarters in Lahore by a group of protestors and an alleged decision by certain individuals to remove the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee of the PFF led by Haroon Malik and to hand over the leadership of the PFF to Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah,” the statement added.
The suspension will only be lifted once FIFA has received conformation from the normalisation committee stating that its premises, accounts, administration and communication channels are again under its full control and it can continue to carry out its mandate without further hindrance.
Earlier, FIFA had issued a warning to the federation over the “illegitimate occupation of the PFF headquarters as well as the decision to take over the leadership from the normalisation committee” appointed by the global body.
“FIFA issued a letter warning that, should the illegitimate occupation of the PFF headquarters not be lifted and the office bearers recognised by the global body not be permitted free access to the building to carry out their mandate, the matter would be immediately submitted to the Bureau of the Council for decision,” the statement issued on Wednesday said.
As the situation remains unchanged, the Bureau of the Council has decided to suspend the PFF, it said.
FIFA had appointed the PFF normalisation committee in September 2019, almost four years after a controversial election of the PFF had thrown Pakistan football into turmoil.