September 16 – FIFA has appointed the members of a normalisation committee that will run day affairs at the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) in an attempt to bring to bring order to an administration that has been deeply divided football administration ever since controversial presidential elections in 2015.
Humza Khan was appointed as the normalisation committee’s chairman and will oversee fresh elections at the in 2020, whereafter his committee’s mandate will end. PFF general secretary retired Col Mujahidullah Tareen, Sikander Khattak, Munir Ahmed Khan Sadhana and Syed Hasan Najib Shah will complete the committee.
“It’s a massive responsibility,” Humza, told local media. “Being a footballer, and having played for Karachi United at a very high level, at times there was disillusionment because football wasn’t flourishing in the country.”
FIFA recognises PFF president Faisal Saleh Hayat and general secretary retired Col Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi as the legitimate leadership of the federation, but they are not recognised in Pakistan, where the PFF is led by Ashfaq Hussain Shah. The latter was elected in December 2018 after Pakistan’s supreme court had stepped in and ordered fresh elections.
Recently, Hayat withdrew several national teams from competition including withdrawal from the qualifiers for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games played within the AFC U-23 Championship. Pakistan also fell at the first hurdle in Asian World Cup qualifying, losing 4-1 on aggregate to Cambodia. The women’s national team has also been affected by the infighting in the federation.
FIFA said the “normalisation committee members will assume their duties with immediate effect” though first members must pass an eligibility check.
“The PFF normalisation committee will act as an electoral committee whose decisions are final and binding. As such, none of its members will be eligible for any of the open positions in the elections under any circumstances, including in the event that their mandate as a member of the PFF normalisation committee has been revoked or that they resign from their position,” said FIFA.
“The specified period of time during which the PFF normalisation committee will perform its functions will expire as soon as it has fulfilled all of its tasks, but no later than nine months after its members have been officially appointed by FIFA – which means on 15 June 2020. The premises and bank accounts of the PFF are to be handed over to the PFF normalisation committee by no later than 20 September 2019.”
Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at moc.l1730744895labto1730744895ofdlr1730744895owedi1730744895sni@o1730744895fni1730744895
