Islamabad, Feb 7 (NationPress) The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has announced the immediate suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) due to its failure to implement a revised version of the PFF constitution, which is essential for facilitating transparent elections within the PFF congress.

FIFA clarified that the suspension will remain in effect until the PFF Congress accepts and ratifies the amended constitution proposed by both FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).

In an official statement released on Thursday, FIFA remarked, "The PFF has been suspended with immediate effect for not adopting a version of the PFF constitution that guarantees genuinely fair and democratic elections, thus failing to meet its obligations as required by FIFA during the ongoing normalization process of PFF.

“The suspension will be lifted only if the PFF Congress approves the version of the PFF Constitution presented by FIFA and the AFC,” it continued.

This suspension marks a significant setback for the country’s potential to compete on the international stage, highlighting the ongoing issues and weaknesses within the PFF that have been systematically overlooked by the government and the sports ministry.

Haroon Malik, the chairman of the PFF Normalization Coordination appointed by FIFA, had previously warned the National Assembly Standing Committee of Inter-Provincial Coordination about the risk of suspension, urging them to prioritize addressing the situation and encouraging the PFF congress to accept the constitutional amendments proposed by FIFA and the AFC.

However, the committee neglected the issue, leading to the PFF Congress's rejection of the constitutional amendments, prompting FIFA to announce the PFF's suspension.

This development places additional pressure on the PFF congress to review and meet FIFA’s requirements.

It is important to highlight that the proposed revision of the PFF Constitution primarily concerns the eligibility and candidacy for the presidency. Currently, the PFF faces criticism for appointing individuals with political ties to the presidential position.

FIFA had set a deadline of February 15 for the PFF to incorporate these revisions into its constitution and conduct presidential elections. However, after the PFF congress dismissed the suggested amendments, the entire process has been stalled.

This marks the third instance of suspension since 2015, as the global football governing body continues to seek transparency in the electoral processes and appointments for the presidency.