FIFA has suspended the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) due to third-party interference and also the Chadian Football Association (FTFA) with immediate effect due to government interference, soccer's global governing body said on Wednesday.
A group of football officials led by Ashfaq Hussain, which
was elected by the Supreme Court in 2018 to run the PFF but was not recognised
by FIFA, took over the headquarters recently and seized control from the FIFA
Normalisation Committee headed by Haroon Malik, local media reported.
FIFA said in a statement on Wednesday that its decision to
suspend the PFF was prompted by the "hostile takeover" which
constituted a serious violation of its statutes.
"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," FIFA said.
"As the situation remains unchanged, the Bureau of the
Council has decided to suspend the PFF."
Pakistan was also suspended by FIFA for third-party
interference in 2017.
FIFA said the latest suspension will only be lifted once it
has received confirmation from the normalisation committee that the PFF
premises, accounts, administration and communication channels are again under
its full control.
Pakistan men's forward Kaleemullah Khan and women's team
midfielder Abiha Haider had urged Ashfaq to hand control back to the
normalisation committee with a ban likely to spell the end of many careers.
The Chadian Ministry of Youth and Sports had stripped the
country's FA of its powers on March 10 following concerns over the way it was
being run and a breakdown in communication. Last month the country was
disqualified from the Africa Cup of Nations by the Confederation of African
Football due to the interference.
The FTFA's suspension will be lifted once the relevant
government decisions have been repealed and the FTFA and its management, led by
president Moctar Mahamoud Hamid, have confirmed to FIFA that its premises are
under its control.
The suspension means the countries will not receive funds
from FIFA and they will be barred from official competitions while development
projects will also be put on hold.
Both the PFF and the FTFA have been contacted for comment.
0 comments:
Post a Comment