KARACHI: Fifa and the Asian Football Confederation have stressed the need for the Pakistan Football Federation to revise its constitution and bring it in line 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, during which Fifa Member Association Governance Manager Rolf Tanner and AFC Development Manager Sonam Jigmi addressed members of the PFF Congress.
The workshop is part of efforts to update the PFF constitution, which was last fully revised in 2014. Although some amendments were introduced before last year’s elections, held under the auspices of the FIFA-appointed Normalization Committee, FIFA and the AFC believe a broader review is now necessary.
Addressing the participants, Tanner highlighted the importance of good governance and stressed the need for a clear separation of powers between the legislative, executive and judicial organs of the federation.
“The separation of powers ensures a system of checks and balances that reduces the risk of corruption,” Tanner said.
The workshop also focused on key principles of governance, including preventing conflicts of interest, promoting gender equality and ensuring skills in football administration.
Tanner described the review of the PFF constitution as an urgent requirement set by Fifa and the AFC to ensure the long-term stability of Pakistani football.
“Fifa and the AFC had ordered a review of the PFF constitution a year after the elections and this workshop is a step towards carrying out such a review very quickly,” he said.
PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani welcomed the reform process and acknowledged that constitutional changes had been delayed for too long.
“Revision of the statutes has been on hold for a decade while other federations have moved ahead light years, so we need to make sure it happens now,” Gilani said.
Tanner also linked stronger governance to improved sporting performance, saying administrative stability is key to football development.
“You are not going to progress at a sporting level with an archaic federation, so it is important because at the end of the day our motivation should be that football is developed and played,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sonam Jigmi of the AFC assured participants that the constitutional review process would be transparent and based on stakeholder consultation.
He also stressed the importance of complying with FIFA and AFC regulations, warning that member associations risk losing certain rights if they fail to meet their obligations.
“A federation that does not respect 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 for updating the PFF constitution in line with Fifa and AFC requirements.
