FIFA Council ratifies decision to extend PFF Normalisation Committee mandate.

Byline: Umaid Wasim

KARACHI -- In its first online meeting, the FIFA Council ratified the decision to extend the mandate of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Normalisation Committee till December this year.

The seven-member Bureau of the FIFA Council, the main decision-making body of the world's football governing body, had decided in May to give the PFF Normalisation Committee a six-month extension in order to allow it to hold elections of the PFF by the end of this year since most of its plans were ravaged by the global novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

The ratification of that decision was one of the points on a wide-ranging agenda of the FIFA Council which met on Thursday.

'The FIFA Council has ratified that decision,' a FIFA spokesperson told Dawn on Friday, adding that the PFF Normalisation Committee had made 'significant progress' since being appointed in September last year following years of crisis and controversy in Pakistan football.

The Normalisation Committee's was initially given a mandate until June 15.

Pakistan to get $1.5million as part of global body's Covid-19 relief plan

At an online press conference following the Council meeting, in which the joint Australia-New Zealand bid won the vote to host the 2023 Women's World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino announced that FIFA will give each of its member associations a $1million payment with an additional $500,000 specifically for women's football in the third stage of its Covid-19 relief plans.

In the earlier stages, FIFA had provided immediate release of operational funds from its Forward Programme while also allowing the usage of project funds for Covid-19 relief plans.

The PFF Normalisation Committee has only been able to receive operational costs from the Forward Programme since it has been appointed but a FIFA spokesperson confirmed to Dawn that it will receive the full amount of $1.5million from the 'universal solidarity grant'.

FIFA also announced interest-free loans to its federations of between $500,000 to $5million, depending on their audited annual revenue.

'Both grants and loans can be directed by member associations to the wider football community in their respective territories, including clubs, players, leagues, or others that have been affected by Covid-19,' said Infantino. 'Clubs and federations are in real danger. In some parts of the world, football has not restarted. We need to help them.'

PFF Normalisation Committee chairman Humza Khan...