The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been again in the spotlight for its constitution changes, as the FIFA and Asian Football Confederation (AFC) have asked the organization to move towards full compliance with global standards. There is also a strong rejection of any third party involvement in the administration of football. The Governance and Statutes Revision Workshop on Sunday was the focus of discussions on revision of the PFF constitution.
Senior officials from FIFA and AFC spoke to PFF Congress members, highlighting the need for structural reform within the federation. The session was led by FIFA’s Head of Member Associations Governance, Rolf Tanner, and AFC’s Senior Manager for South Asia, Sonam Jigmi. They pointed out that although some amendments were made prior to the PFF elections organised by the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee, the current system is still not meeting the world’s governance expectations.
It is now believed that the process of constitutional revisions in PFF will move beyond minor changes. FIFA and AFC are pushing for a complete review, especially focusing on the separation of powers within the federation. The responsibilities of the legislative, executive and judicial arms of government need to be clearly demarcated for transparency and accountability, Tanner said.
The last comprehensive amendment of the current constitution was in 2014. Officials say the nature of football governance around the globe is changing and Pakistan needs to update the system to keep pace with that and stay competitive and in compliance on the international stage. The other one of the big worries was outside interference in football administration. FIFA and AFC reiterated their stance that third party interference should not be allowed, which helps assert the independent status of national football organisations.Â
