Karachi, May 27, 2025: Mohsen Gilani, former FIFA Development Officer, has been elected as the 17th President of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), becoming the first to take office after a six-year leadership vacuum.
Gilani secured the presidency in the second round of voting, earning 13 votes against 11 received by his closest contender, Taha Alizai of Karachi United Football Club.
With a wealth of experience from his tenure at FIFA, Gilani has overseen numerous football development initiatives across the region. His election signals a new chapter for Pakistani football, which has been under the control of a FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee since 2019 following prolonged administrative crises.
The successful transition to a permanent governing body is seen as a crucial step toward restoring stability and autonomy in the sport’s national administration.
However, the new leadership faces significant challenges, including reviving domestic competitions, launching the long-awaited franchise-style league, and improving the performance of national teams. These tasks are particularly pressing as qualifiers for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 are already underway.
Earlier this month, the PFF postponed its Executive Committee elections—originally scheduled for May 20—due to regional tensions and logistical hurdles. In a letter dated May 14, Acting General Secretary Muhammad Shahid Niaz Khokhar informed Congress members of the delay, citing rising tensions between Pakistan and India that disrupted travel plans for key international observers from FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Their attendance was considered vital to ensuring the transparency and credibility of the electoral process. The situation also created administrative obstacles in holding the PFF Extraordinary Congress as planned.
