LAHORE: The FIFA has threatened to suspend the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) if the Supreme Court (SC) orders of fresh elections are carried out. The SC ordered fresh elections for the national football federation last month with a Returning Officer to be in charge of the process. While the elections will take place according to the order, the FIFA is adamant that Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat should be allowed to complete its tenure without any “third party” interference. However the matter is getting confusing, as, in this case, the third party is the country’s Apex Court.
It has been learnt that the FIFA has sent a letter to the PFF’s secretary general asking him to inform its position about the situation of the Pakistan Football Federation. The letter from the FIFA says that it will not accept the PFF election under the orders of Pakistan’s Supreme Court and any such move can result in another suspension of the national football body. According to the letter, the FIFA states that the election is a contravention to its statutes with call for the matters to be held without any undue third-party interference. “Court order seems to be incompatible with the decision taken by the FIFA Members Association Committee earlier this year,” the letter read. It added that if election on the 12th December is held under court orders, it would be considered as undue third-party influence.
“Consequently, the matter would then be presented to the relevant FIFA bodies for consideration and possible action which may include suspension of PFF,” the letter added.
This will not be the first suspension of the PFF for the same reason. In October 2017, the FIFA suspended the PFF after a Lahore High Court-appointed administrator took over all the affairs of the national football body. The ban was later removed in March 2018.
Published in Daily Times, December 6th 2018.