KARACHI: FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation have stressed the need for the Pakistan Football Federation to review its constitution and align it with international governance standards, warning that third-party interference in the affairs of the federation will not be tolerated.
The message was delivered during the first day of the Governance and Statute Review Workshop held on Sunday, where Head of Governance of FIFA Member Associations, Rolf Tanner, and AFC Development Officer, Sonam Jigmi, addressed members of the PFF Congress.
The workshop is part of efforts to update the PFF constitution, which was last extensively revised in 2014. While some amendments were introduced ahead of last year’s PFF elections held under the FIFA-appointed Normalization Committee, FIFA and the AFC believe a broader review is now necessary.
Addressing the participants, Tanner emphasized the importance of good governance and highlighted the need for a clear separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judicial bodies of the federation.
“The distinction of powers ensures a system of checks and balances that reduces the risk of corruption,” Tanner said.
The workshop also focused on key governance principles, including avoiding conflicts of interest, promoting gender equality and ensuring competition in football administration.
Tanner described the review of the PFF statutes as an urgent requirement set by FIFA and the AFC to ensure long-term stability within Pakistani football.
“FIFA and AFC had ordered a review of the PFF statutes a year after the elections and this workshop is a step to ensure that this happens very soon,” he said.
PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani welcomed the reform process and acknowledged that constitutional changes had been long overdue.
“The statute review has been pending for a decade, while other federations have moved light years ahead, so we need to make sure it happens now,” Gilani said.
Tanner also linked stronger governance with better sporting performance, arguing that administrative stability is essential for the development of football.
“You are not going to progress at a sporting level with an archaic federation, that is why it is important because at the end of the day our motivation should be for football to develop and be played,” he said.
Meanwhile, AFC’s Sonam Jigmi assured participants that the constitutional review process would be transparent and based on consultations with stakeholders.
He also stressed the importance of complying with FIFA and AFC regulations, warning that member associations risk losing certain rights if they do not meet their obligations.
“A federation that does not comply with the obligations of FIFA and the AFC loses its rights as a member association,” Jigmi said.
The workshop is expected to continue discussions on governance reforms and the framework to update the PFF constitution in line with FIFA and AFC requirements.
