The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has been suspended by the International Football Federation (FIFA) for failing to alter its constitution, which the international organization considered essential for the equitable and efficient administration of the sport in the nation.

The international organization said that Pakistan will continue to be suspended unless such changes were implemented by the PFF congress.

Since June 2019, Pakistani football has been governed by a Normalization Committee formed by FIFA, which was entrusted with organizing elections and removing rival groups from the football system. However, the committee has not been able to carry out these plans effectively.

Although the leaders and members of the Normalization Committee have changed over the last five years, the fundamental problems facing Pakistani sport have not altered.

The state-run Pakistan Sports Board and the Normalization Committee have been at odds, which has delayed the modifications.

Haroon Malik, the head of the PFF Normalization Committee, had told a parliamentary panel earlier this week that February 15 would be his final day in office and that Pakistan would face suspension if it failed to enact the constitutional modifications.

Malik further clarified that filing the revisions did not imply that he will run for office in the nation’s football governing body elections.

According to Malik, there was a standoff because the PFF Congress was unwilling to implement the changes as instructed by FIFA.

Since 2017, the Pakistan Football Federation has been suspended three times.