Sports Governance in Pakistan: The Case for Legislative Reform:

Primary statutory foundation governing sports within Pakistan is The Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance 1962[i] (“Sports Ordinance”). The framework served its purpose when it was promulgated; however, with the passage of time sports has become more regularized and commercialized in the global market whereas Pakistan’s primary framework governing sports remains the same and to a greater extent outdated as well.

Section 3(1) and 5 of the Sports Ordinance show how central government is vested with immense powers to create statutory boards which are then vested with powers to control the administrative and electoral matters of the national sporting bodies. This broad power clashes directly with lex sportiva[ii] as international governing bodies, including the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Federation Internationale de Football Association (“FIFA”) make autonomy a mandatory condition of affiliation[iii]. An example of such clash would be when the two bodies which are required to work together i.e. the Pakistan Sports Board (“PSB”) established under the Sports Ordinance and Pakistan Olympic Association (“POA”) came at odds with each other. In 2014 the IOC sided with the POA that the government should not interfere in the matters of organizations and sports bodies relating to sports[iv]. Whereas, in 2024 PSB despite strong protest from POA and the National Sports Federations (“NSFs”)[v] implemented the measures pertaining to creation of an election commission by the PSB, adjudication of internal matters and complaints within NSFs, the power of the PSB to impose ad-hoc committees on NSFs and adoption of Code of Ethics and Governance in Sports (“PCEGS”)^[vi]. These differences between PSB and the POA have shaped the Pakistani sports landscape with national federations often left caught between competing political and administrative interests and athletes paying the price.

Pakistan announced its first National Sports Policy (“NSP”) in 2001 which was not implemented faithfully by the provinces. The same was later amended in 2005 and its purpose was to strengthen the sports system of the country[vii]. However, POA was critical of the 2005 policy on the basis that it contradicted the IOC Charter. Conversely, Supreme Court of Pakistan (“SCP”) in 2012 decided that all NSFs were required to implement the 2005 NSP and in case of negligence the NSFs were at risk of losing affiliation and financial support by PSB[viii]. In addition to this, PSB asked POA to adopt the 2005 NSP, to which POA replied asking PSB to refrain from intervening in their business and revise the NSP 2005 as it contradicts with the Olympic Charter. This whole situation not only resulted in the division of sports family into two groups i.e. pro-government and pro-POA but also reflected on the participation & performance of athletes in international competitions as in many cases the financial support to participate rested with the government and/or the permission to participate rested with the POA[ix]. This battle affected sports activities in Pakistan over the past decade.

These challenges were intensified with the 18^th amendment which devolved sports to the provincial governments whereas the 2005 NSP under which sport comes under the federal domain has remained intact up till now. Through this the governance responsibilities got divided across layers: provincial sports boards oversee local development and infrastructure; national sports federations regulate individual sports whereas federal oversight continues through the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination (“IPC”) and the PSB[x]. The Minister for IPC herself termed the unclear role of federal government in sports affairs as a big flaw in the 18^th amendment, an issue which justified the review of the 2005 sports policy; she further stated that Federal Government (“FG”) carries a significant role in participation of athletes at international level whereas the resources to prepare the same athletes lie with the Provincial Government (“PG”)[xi]. After the 18^th amendment, sports in Pakistan faced many haphazard events including but not limited to: uncertainty with respect to Pakistan’s participation in the London Olympics 2012[xii], the Government of Pakistan getting forced to backtrack on its hostile takeover of the POA by signing an agreement with the IOC in 2014 because of lack of understanding of how governing bodies around the world work[xiii], IOC including the point in the agenda to ban Pakistan’s membership due to the FG’s interference in POA affairs in 2015, which then resulted in PSB declaring POA an autonomous body to save it from the ban[xiv] and FIFA suspending Pakistan Football Federation (“PFF”) thrice, twice on the grounds of third-party influence in 2017[xv] and 2021[xvi], and once in 2025 for failing to adopt constitutional amendments required by FIFA to ensure fair and democratic elections[xvii].

In 2021 FG attempted to get the 2021 NSP passed which aimed at bringing the working of the NSFs and related departments under the direct control of the IPC ministry and PSB[xviii]. This proposal did not address the autonomy problem which has been there since 2001; it remained a proposal and was never formally enacted. Lately, in 2026 the FG finally took the initiative to introduce a new NSP, which proposes independent status of the NSFs subject to: compliance with governance standards issued by PSB, adherence to international federation rules and performance-based accountability. Moreover, the NSP 2026 draft guides all sporting bodies regarding: transparent electoral processes, fixed tenure limits and independent audit mechanisms. This same clause indicates that the federations may be allowed to hold their elections independently[xix].

The sequence mentioned above raises two questions. First, whether the 2026 NSP will remain a draft like the 2021 one or would it be implemented. Second, whether the new NSP is an answer to the situation of sports within the country. Even if the 2026 NSP is implemented, it remains an executive policy which cannot override the overarching powers given to PSB under the Sports Ordinance of 1962[xx]. Genuine reforms in the sports sector demand neither a new policy nor a single sporting statute covering all aspects of sports. However, a modern legal framework built in conformity with international standards and domestic realities clarifying the governance structure which has been unclear for decades, would be beneficial. In addition to this, the speculations about creation of new provinces that have resurfaced recently^[xxi]if implemented, would result in horizontal division of resources between provinces, ultimately resulting in division of sports-related resources as well worsening the situation we already have in place after 18^th amendment unless the problem is solved via a proper legal framework.

In essence, policy fixes have addressed everything except their own legal ceiling, i.e. no policy can override proper legislation. What the sports sector needs now is a modern legal framework, one that gives federation autonomy, safeguards athlete welfare, coordinates federal-provincial responsibilities, and provides a proper governing structure and dispute resolution mechanism which the 1962 Ordinance never addressed.

[i] Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance, 1962

[ii] lex sportiva

[iii] The “autonomy” of developing countries in the Olympic Movement: Assessing the fate of sports governance transplants in the Global South – PMC; See also; Article 2.5, Olympic-Charter; Article 19, FIFA Statutes, 2024

[iv] PSB warns POA to put house in order for polls

[v] Federations urge PSB to review proposed measures

[vi] PSB forms independent commission to oversee elections of federations – Sport – DAWN.COM

[vii] Full article: Sport policy in Pakistan

[viii] Ibid

[ix] SNU Open Repository and Archive: Sport Governance in Pakistan: Challenges and Opportunities

[x] Is It Time to Modernize Pakistan’s Sports Law? – Courting The Law

[xi] Full article: Sport policy in Pakistan; See also; ‘Federal govt’s role in sports needs clarity after 18th Amendment’ – Sport – DAWN.COM

[xii] Political dispute dents Pakistan’s Olympics hopes