'Embarrassing for country led by Imran Khan': Pakistan football captain on FIFA ban

Following the ban imposed on Pakistan by FIFA, the country's women's football team captain Hajra Khan has sought Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's help to revoke the ban. Taking to Instagram, Hajra said that it was embarrassing for a country led by a sportsman - Imran Khan, former Pakistan World Cup-winning captain - to be banned by the global body of the 'world's most-followed sport'. The 27-year-old skipper, who has played 16 games for Pakistan, said that the team has worked hard 'with blood and sweat' as she made an emotional appeal to the Pakistan PM to intervene. 

“There is still hope and we do expect a response from you two. We do expect the country to back us when we need them the most right now. It is a request, it might not be humble anymore, but it is a request. (And) it is a need. It all relies on you,” the Pakistani skipper said in a video message to Imran Khan. 

“We have worked hard, with blood and sweat, to represent this country. We have taken it to the podium, we have won championships in the past. Where do we go next? Which sport do we switch to? Who do we rely on? We do expect a response from you. We do expect the country to back us when we need it the most,” Hajra Khan added. 

FIFA suspends Pakistan 

The Bureau of FIFA Council on Wednesday announced that it has suspended Pakistan and Chad football associations over concerns linked to illegitimate outside interference. FIFA has said that the above-mentioned suspension will come into force with immediate effect and will only be lifted once the football’s governing body is convinced that the respective associations of Pakistan and Chad have regained full control for their management and premises.

FIFA said that the Chad football association (FTFA) has been suspended because of government interference, while the suspension of the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) was prompted by the recent “hostile takeover” of the latter’s headquarters. 

Earlier, the global football body also issued a warning to the Pakistan Football Federation after the hostile takeover by Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah's faction. Notably, Shah had won the PFF elections in 2018 which was ordered by the Pakistan Supreme Court. However, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), as well as FIFA, has never recognized Shah as the PFF representative. The global football body has given Shah's faction until Wednesday to vacate the PFF and hand over its control back to Haroon Malik. FIFA had appointed a Normalization Committee in 2019 to hold elections after a long-drawn-out dispute between opposing groups in the PFF and a number of court cases.