FIFA Congress confirms Pakistan's suspension

• FIFA ratifies Pakistan's suspension.
• Pakistan Football Federation was suspended by FIFA last month after takeover by Syed Asfhaq Shah group.
• The Ashfaq group had ignored warnings by FIFA to hand over PFF's control to the normalisation committee.

KARACHI: The FIFA Congress officially confirmed the suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation. 

During the 71st virtual FIFA Congress, 203 members out of the 207 attending voted in favour of the Bureau of the FIFA Council’s step to suspend Pakistan on April 7, 2021, for the third party’s interference.

Only one member association voted against it. The FIFA Congress also ratified the suspension of the Chadian Football Association. 

Read more: FIFA suspends Pakistan Football Federation with immediate effect

FIFA President Gianni Infantino expressed the hope that the suspension can be lifted soon.

What happened?

In April, the Federation Internationale de Football Association had suspended the PFF after a group led by Syed Ashfaq Shah took over the PFF's control from the Normalisation Committee, appointed by the world governing body, which was being led by Haroon Malik.

A statement by FIFA said that the bureau of the FIFA Council suspended the PFF with immediate effect due to third-party interference, which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA statutes.

“This situation was prompted by the recent hostile takeover of the PFF headquarters in Lahore by a group of protestors and an alleged decision by certain individuals to remove the FIFA-appointed normalisation committee of the PFF led by Haroon Malik and to hand over the leadership of the PFF to Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah,” it had said.

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The group, led by Syed Ashfaq Shah, had stormed into PFF headquarters the month before, forcing Haroon Malik and the normalisation committee to vacate the office and the PFF control.

FIFA had termed the takeover illegal and issued an ultimatum that the committee should be handed over the PFF control by March 31 otherwise Pakistan could be suspended from its membership.

The Ashfaq group had ignored the deadline and had announced to continue working from the PFF headquarters.

Following the refusal by Ashfaq group, the bureau of the Council has decided to suspend the PFF.

“This suspension will only be lifted once FIFA has received confirmation from the normalisation committee of the PFF that the PFF’s premises, accounts, administration and communication channels are again under its full control and it can continue to carry out its mandate without further hindrance,” FIFA had said.