Lahore, March 3 — FIFA has officially lifted the suspension imposed on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) following the successful implementation of constitutional changes aimed at ensuring better governance in the sport within the country.
The suspension, which was initially imposed on February 5, had been triggered by the PFF Congress's failure to amend the federation's constitution in line with FIFA's requirements. However, after extensive discussions, PFF Congress members reached a consensus on the necessary changes last Thursday, paving the way for FIFA’s decision.
A PFF official confirmed that FIFA notified the federation on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted. The lifting of the suspension marks a significant step forward for Pakistan football, which has faced governance issues for several years.
Since June 2019, Pakistan football has been overseen by a FIFA-appointed normalization committee. The committee’s primary responsibilities included organizing elections and resolving disputes between the two parallel factions in the federation. Despite multiple changes in the committee's leadership over the past five years, many core issues in Pakistan football remained unresolved, hindering progress.
A senior official from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) visited Lahore last week to meet with Congress members, urging them to approve the constitutional amendments. With the amendments now in place, FIFA has cleared the way for Pakistan to resume international football activities.
As a result of the suspension's lifting, Pakistan will now be eligible to participate in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with the national team set to face Syria in their Group ‘E’ opener on March 25. This development is a major boost for Pakistan football as it prepares for upcoming international competitions.
The suspension, which was initially imposed on February 5, had been triggered by the PFF Congress's failure to amend the federation's constitution in line with FIFA's requirements. However, after extensive discussions, PFF Congress members reached a consensus on the necessary changes last Thursday, paving the way for FIFA’s decision.
A PFF official confirmed that FIFA notified the federation on Sunday that the suspension had been lifted. The lifting of the suspension marks a significant step forward for Pakistan football, which has faced governance issues for several years.
Since June 2019, Pakistan football has been overseen by a FIFA-appointed normalization committee. The committee’s primary responsibilities included organizing elections and resolving disputes between the two parallel factions in the federation. Despite multiple changes in the committee's leadership over the past five years, many core issues in Pakistan football remained unresolved, hindering progress.
A senior official from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) visited Lahore last week to meet with Congress members, urging them to approve the constitutional amendments. With the amendments now in place, FIFA has cleared the way for Pakistan to resume international football activities.
As a result of the suspension's lifting, Pakistan will now be eligible to participate in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, with the national team set to face Syria in their Group ‘E’ opener on March 25. This development is a major boost for Pakistan football as it prepares for upcoming international competitions.