ISLAMABAD: The FIFA-appointed Pakistan Foot­ball Federation Normalisation Committee (NC) is under renewed fire from the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB).

With the Haroon Malik-led NC set to hold the provincial football elections — the second step towards holding the presidential polls of the country’s football governing body — next week, the PSB has expressed its concerns over the process that has been adopted.

“The PSB has received several complaints from stakeholder across football community, including clubs and athletes, raising concerns about the manner in which certain processes, particularly elections are being conducted,” the National Sports Federation Wing of the PSB wrote in a Sept 13 letter to NC chairman Haroon Malik, a copy of which is available with Dawn.

It said, “In light of these concerns the PSB must express its dissatisfaction with several aspects of the NC’s administration, particularly in relation to the elections process for district football associations.”

Global football body FIFA appointed a Normalisation Committee in September 2019 after years of crisis and controversy in the PFF.

It was only a few months ago that it completed the district elections, which became controversial after several new clubs were given the right to vote after an exhaustive club registration and scrutiny process.

The PSB letter further stated that according to Article 81 (4) c of the PFF Constitution, a club must have participated in at least 90pc of the matches in the District League Championship and the District Football Championship to be considered active and eligible to vote in the Annual General Body meeting.

It added, “We request clarification on whether District League Championships and District Football Championships were organized during the NC’s tenure. If these championships were not held, please explain how the participation percentages of the clubs were determined, as required under the Article 81(4) (c).”

Furthermore, the PSB said that NC’s letter dated July 22 2024, indicated that the elections of District Football Associations were conducted based on Article 90 of the PFF Constitution and the District Election Rules of Pakistan Football Federation, adopted by the NC on Dec 12 2023.

“However, the District Elections Process Overview reveals that WhatsApp was used for conducting the elections, which contradict the official voting procedure outlined in the District Elections rules. This inconsistency raises serious concerns regarding the transparency and validity of the election process,” it added.

The process for the provincial elections has also come under the scanner with the NC having been accused of favouritism in its bid to get a favourable candidate elected in each of the four provinces.

The disciplinary committee appointed by the NC had slapped bans on several leading contenders for their involvement in the elections of the PFF held by the Supreme Court in December 2018, which were not accepted by FIFA.

However, last week the disciplinary committee allowed two leading candidates Syed Zahir Shah (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) and Rana Ashraf (Punjab) to compete in the provincial elections after their appeals were heard.

The PSB also noted the furore over the National Women’s Championship, where departments were barred and only clubs were allowed to compete. The tournament saw NC’s favoured club Karachi City, which is helmed by Pakistan women’s team head coach Adeel Rizki, clinch the crown.

The PSB said it had received objections from Pakistan Army’s Sports Directorate regarding the exclusion of government departments from the National Women Clubs Championship.

“As per Article 23 of the PFF constitution, the champion women’s football team holds the right to vote in PFF congress,” it added in the letter.

“With the elections scheduled in coming months, the exclusion of these departments could give rise to concerns regarding inclusivity and fair right of representation.”

The PSB said it expects a prompt and comprehensive response from the NC, ensuring full compliance with the FIFA guidelines as well as the PFF constitution.

“The issues raised in this letter are only indicative and not exhaustive,” it said. “These points serve to highlight broader procedural and governance issues, which require attention to safeguard the interest of the football players in the Pakistan.

“In the spirit of cooperation, we would also welcome the opportunity to discuss these issues with you [NC Chairman] in a meeting to resolve outstanding concerns.”

Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2024