Most people blame the man who ran the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) from 2003 to 2018: Makhdoom Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat. But his terrible management is only half the story.
In 2003, Hayat became the PFF president without anyone opposing him. This was arranged and backed by the General Pervez Musharraf. Hayat was a clever politician who had just switched political parties to support Musharraf’s regime. Giving him the football federation was a political reward.
To make sure no one could ever kick him out, Hayat made a deal with military sports teams. In Pakistan, the Army, Navy, and Air Force sports boards hold a massive number of votes inside the football federation. By teaming up with key military figures, Hayat secured these institutional votes. No regular civilian club could ever outvote him.
He then made a retired army officer, Lt. Col. Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi, his General Secretary. Lodhi ran the PFF like an army camp. If any local club or player complained or asked for better rules, they were immediately shut down and silenced.
Running Football Like a Personal Kingdom
Hayat ran the PFF like his own personal property. Instead of spending FIFA’s development money on local academies, better coaching, or player salaries, he used it to buy loyalty. He treated local football officials to luxury trips to FIFA meetings in Europe and Asia. In return, they backed him in every election.
When the Pakistani government tried to stop him, Hayat simply ignored them. Pakistan’s sports policy clearly states that no one can be the head of a sports federation for more than two terms. Hayat ignored the law and entered his third and fourth terms. He claimed that because FIFA recognized him, Pakistani laws and courts had no power over him.
The Political War with the Sharif Family (2015)
Hayat openly blamed the ruling Sharif family (specifically Maryam Nawaz and Hamza Shahbaz) for trying to overthrow him. He claimed the PML-N government used state police and political allies to attack him and take over the PFF House in Lahore.
Because of this fighting, the courts locked down the PFF headquarters and froze its bank accounts. Domestic football completely stopped, leaving hundreds of local players without any way to earn money or feed their families.
Using FIFA as a Shield
Hayat’s smartest and most damaging trick was using FIFA’s rules to protect himself.
FIFA has a strict rule: governments are not allowed to interfere in football. Whenever Pakistani courts or government agencies tried to audit the PFF to see where the millions of missing dollars went, Hayat would immediately report it to FIFA, claiming the government was interfering.
The 2016 Court Battles
In 2016, the battle moved to the courts. As the government tried to investigate the missing football funds, Hayat hired expensive lawyers to stop the investigation. He also blocked the government from checking his financial records, leaving the public with no idea where the football money had gone.
The 2017 Crisis and FIFA Ban
By 2017, the mess became so bad that the military leadership had to step in. Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa wrote a formal letter to the Prime Minister, warning that this sports war was ruining Pakistan’s reputation globally. The warning was ignored, and a few months later, FIFA officially hit Pakistan with a global ban.
The 2018 Supreme Court Defiance
In 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan tried to end the crisis by ordering fresh elections. A new president was elected, but Hayat refused to step down or hand over control. He used his high position in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to keep the sport hostage, leaving Pakistani football completely isolated from the rest of the world.
2019: FIFA Takes Control
After the disputed 2018 elections, FIFA refused to accept the new PFF leadership. To end the ongoing conflict, Fifa appointed a Normalisation Committee (NC) to run the federation, update its records, and organize fresh, fair elections.
2021: FIFA Bans Pakistan Again
The problems continued. In March 2021, a group of local football officials stormed the PFF headquarters in Lahore and took control of the building while FIFA’s committee members were inside. In response, FIFA suspended Pakistan for more than a year.
2025: A Fresh Start
After the ban was lifted, the FIFA committee spent several years preparing fair elections from the grassroots level. In early 2025, a disagreement over changes to the PFF constitution led to another brief FIFA suspension. The issue was quickly resolved after local football officials accepted FIFA’s conditions, and the ban was lifted within a few weeks.