ISLAMABAD: The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) has lifted its suspension on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) after the successful adoption of constitutional amendments aimed at ensuring transparency in the federation’s governance.
The ban was lifted after the PFF Congress approved FIFA’s proposed amendments to the federation’s constitution during an Extraordinary Congress session held in Lahore last week.
“The Bureau of the FIFA Council decided on March 2, 2025, to lift the suspension that was imposed on the PFF,” FIFA said in a statement.
The amendments were introduced to ensure transparency in the election process, a key requirement set by FIFA and the AFC.
Shahid Khokhar, a member of the PFF Normalisation Committee, confirmed the development, calling it a “positive step for Pakistan football.”
With the suspension lifted, Pakistan is now eligible to resume international football activities, including participation in the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, set to begin next month. The PFF will need to quickly make arrangements for the upcoming qualifier against Syria later this month.
FIFA’s decision restores all of PFF’s membership rights, enabling the country’s national and club teams to compete in international competitions once more.
It is pertinent to mention that in October 2017, FIFA imposed a suspension on the PFF, which was later lifted in March 2018.
In April 2021 another suspension occurred, with FIFA lifting it in June 2022 after the PFF Normalisation Committee regained control of its operations.
On February 6, 2025, the most recent suspension was enacted due to the PFF’s failure to adopt constitutional revisions aimed at ensuring fair and democratic elections.
FIFA had earlier made it clear that the suspension would only be lifted if Congress approved the revised constitution.
