The  FIFA Congress last week ratified the suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), giving a jolt to the South Asian nation.

As many as 203 members out of the 207 attending the 71st virtual FIFA Congress 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, reports IBNS quoting The News International.

The Bureau of the FIFA Council suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (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, read the FIFA website last month.

FIFA issued a letter warning that, should the illegitimate occupation of the PFF headquarters not be lifted and the office bearers recognised by FIFA not be permitted free access to the building to carry out their mandate, the matter would be immediately submitted to the Bureau of the Council for decision.

As the situation remains unchanged, 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.