Asian Football Confederation
Pakistan Football Federation became a member of what organization or association in 1948?
Pakistan Football Federation Pakistan Football Federation ( PFF ) was the govenrning body of association football in Pakistan . PFF was formed in 1954 . It is the governing body of Football in Pakistan . It organizes the Pakistan national teams matches as well as the domestic leagues and cups . The PFFs headquarter is at FIFA Football House in Lahore , Punjab near the Punjab Stadium . PFF is currently suspended by FIFA due to third party interference . Overview . The PFF governs all football clubs in Pakistan . It is a member of AFC and FIFA . All of Pakistans football clubs must be members of the PFF . The PFF is responsible for the appointment of the management of the Pakistan mens and womens national teams and the organization of the Pakistan Premier League ( the top division ) , and other lower divisions . The game is controlled at the local level , by 8 provincial football federations affiliated to The PFF but with responsibilities for organising and running football activities in their area like Islamabad football association . History . On 5 December 1947 , after the independence from Great Britain , the Pakistan Football Federation was created . Mohammad Ali Jinnah , Pakistans first leader , became the Patron-in-Chief , and in 1948 , the PFF became affiliated with FIFA . It is also one of the founding members of the Asian Football Confederation when it was established in 1954 . It organized the first national championship in 1948 at Karachi . Previously , corrupt and inefficient management , poor support from the authorities to the players and to the game itself , poor media coverage and the status of Cricket as the most popular game in the country were some of the factors as to why football remained underdeveloped since independence . Also due to politics within the organisation , there was a time when FIFA had suspended Pakistan from all international football due to rival PFF factions setting up their own teams to take part in international and national competitions . Such things hindered any chance of footballs progress over the last 2 decades . However , in August 2003 , the PFF was under new management , as Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat took over , and he has turned around the fortunes of Pakistani football . With the Assistance of FIFA , the PFF set up a national football league in 2004 , which is now called the Pakistan Premier League . In 2005 a national championship was set up for womens football . In 2007 , the inter-city Geo Super Football League was established , making it the first time that Pakistani club football was telecast live on national television via GEO Super . It also became Pakistans first professional football tournament . Since 2015 and the controversial third election of Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat , the PFF has been going through an internal feud that unabled the local and national teams to partake to any international event . In July 2017 , the FIFA threatened to suspend the PFFs membership if it kept refusing to hand football affairs to its president-elect Faisal Saleh Hayat . Former coach Nasir Ismail asked FIFA to hold fresh elections for the PFFs presidency . On 11 October 2017 the FIFA decided to suspend Pakistan Football Federation ( PFF ) with immediate effect On 13 March 2018 FIFA lifted the suspension Overview . At both club and international football , Pakistan have seen results improve . Pakistan rise has attracted many Pakistani players throughout the world such as England based player Zesh Rehman . However more effort and sincerity by the officials is required to allow further progress of the sport in Pakistan . Current bureaucratic inefficiencies and lackluster politics remain within the PFF machinery that have always hindered the true growth of the game in Pakistan at a faster rate . Pakistans core national league has three divisions . The National Football Championship ( A-Division ) is named as the Pakistan Premier League ( PPL ) while National Championship ( B-Division ) is known as the Pakistan Football Federation League ( PFF league ) and the National Club Championship ( C-Division ) is the lowest division . Below this are regional leagues likes IFA in Islamabad . There is also a national knock-out competition called the National Football Challenge Cup although it appears to be used sparingly nowadays , as PFF is one of the most corrupt organizations , per UNESCO corruption rankings . Criticism . Over the past several years , the Pakistan Football Federation has been accused of several corruption scandals and incompetence in running the day-to-day footballing activities in Pakistan . Local media outlets have described the current situation of the PFF as a horror show . Faisal Saleh Hayat incompetence . Hayat was the President of the Pakistan Football Federation and also serves as a member of the Strategic Committee of FIFA . He has held this position since 2003 , and has been described as a feudal lord of Pakistani football . During his controversial tenure , Pakistans FIFA ranking has dropped from 168 in 2003 to 201 in 2017 . Despite his lackluster results , Hayat continues to hold on to his position as president . Hayat himself in also the middle of various corruption allegations involving PFF and a legal battle at Lahore High Court with a warring faction intent on seeing him removed from office . The top division of the Pakistan Premier League remains suspended because the crisis created due to his actions . The mens senior team last played in March 2015 , when they bowed out of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in the first round . In June 2017 , 18 of the 26 members of the PFF voted in favor of Faisal Saleh Hayats dismissal for incompetence and embezzlement of PFF funds . In July 2017 , the FIFA threatened to suspend the PFFs membership if it kept refusing to hand football affairs to its president-elect Faisal Saleh Hayat . Punjab Football Association Elections Controversy . In June 2015 , the PFF presidential elections were announced , with Faisal Saleh Hayat facing his biggest challenge since 2003 . Several senior members of the PFF as well as the government were intent on having Hayat removed from power . Controversy began at the Punjab Football Association , when the Hayat-backed Sardar Naveed Haider Khan toppled incumbent Arshad Khan Lodhi . Several of Lodhis voters were banned by Hayats illegal disciplinary committee . With this , Zahir Ali Shah a PFF vice-president , turned against Hayat and announced his intention to run for PFF presidency . Shortly after his announcement , allegations emerged from Shah claiming that Hayat had changed several clauses of the PFF constitution to suit himself in the presidential election . The PFF eventually split into two groups following an Extraordinary Congress meeting that suspended Hayat . With the election approaching , the two factions announced their own election venues . The Lahore High Court was forced to intervene in and ordered a stay on polling and appointed a temporary administrator until matters were resolved between the two factions . The row intensified when the Hayat faction went on and held election anyway , disobeying the Lahore High Court stay order . FIFA then intervened and sent a fact-finding mission . They concluded that Hayat be given a mandate for two years , in which he would have to amend PFF statutes and form an independent disciplinary committee before holding elections again . The Lahore High Court appointed administrator Asad Munir was given authority to manage football activity in Pakistan , while the two factions sorted out differences . In a shocking move , the Hayat faction swiftly withdrew Pakistan team from the 2015 SAFF Cup , only causing more resentment from football fans and senior PFF members who were intent on seeing Hayat removed from office . Many suggest that Faisal Saleh Hayat is not mentally stable . In October 2016 , the FIFA executive committee indicated all is not well with the Faisal Saleh Hayat faction of the PFF . A FIFA spokesperson said given the current situation , FIFA has been withholding development funding to PFF . In February 2017 , the Lahore High Court restored Faisal Saleh Hayat as president of the Pakistan Football Federation . The FIFA Executive Committee decided that the current PFF leadership - led by Faisal Saleh Hayat - would be given two years ( until September 2017 ) to revise the PFF statutes and organise elections accordingly . Crisis . 2015 crisis . Just before PPF elections in 2015 , two groups were formed within the federation and there infighting in the federation due to which FIFA took notice and told the federation to solve the matters , being in contact with AFC . Upon the situation a FIFA spokesman said , Lahore High Court ( LHC ) declared PFF elections to be held on 30 June 2015 . On 30 June , the elections were declared null/void by LHC , attended by AFC observer , Sanjeevan Balasinggam . The PFF chairman Faisal Saleh Hayat said that the Elections were approved by AFC , but the Asian governing body had no comment on the situation . Due to crisis Pakistan has not qualified for any of the international tournament since March 2015 and FIFA rankings have slumped to 198 for mens team . A normalization committee was made for the Pakistan Football Federation ( PFF ) whose task is to hold elections of the countrys football governing body and bring it would bring an end to a four-year crisis that resulted in Pakistan suffering significantly in the game . 2021 crisis . On 27 March 2021 , the PFFs office was attacked and people inside held hostage by its former president , Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah , and his group , and the ongoing womens championship was cancelled . Major clubs protested : Diya W.F.C . announced following laws laid down by FIFA , PFF NC and the AFC , Mohsin Gillani W.F.C . announced it pulled out and Karachi United condemned actions taken against the NC and stated to be fully and respectfully supportive of following due process as per FIFA directives . Suspensions . FIFA has gave warnings and suspension for PFA on several occasions . FIFA had issued a warning to suspend Pakistan if the third party interference ( i.e . involvement of Lahore High Court is not ended as soon as possible . On 10 October 2017 , FIFA suspended PFF with immediate effect . FIFA stated on its website , meaning Pakistan will not be a part of any footballing activity officially until further notice is provided by the governing body . In 2018 , the ban was lifted by FIFA and Pakistan has been given the opportunity to participate in the 2018 Asian games and the 2018 SAFF competitions . On 7 April 2021 , FIFA suspended the federation with immediate effect due to third-party interference , which constitutes a serious violation of the FIFA Statutes . Competitions . The PFF also runs several competitions : - Pakistan Premier League – Current - PFF League ( 2nd division ) – Current - PFF National Challenge Cup – Current - Geo Super Football League – defunct - KASB Premier League – defunct