The Pakistan Football Federation has pledged a renewed drive to expand women’s football across the country after the first-ever PFF Women’s Football Symposium in Islamabad brought together stakeholders from sport and development sectors.
PFF President Syed Mohsen Gilani declared that “every year will be the year of women’s football in Pakistan,” stressing that progress must reach beyond national team results to build a full ecosystem of players, coaches, referees and fans. He credited recent international attention and the Pakistan Sports Board for helping raise the profile of the game at events such as the FIFA Congress in Vancouver.
Chief Guest Mehreen Razzaq Bhutto congratulated the federation for the women’s national team’s participation in the FIFA Series, the SAFF Futsal Championship and AFC Women’s Asian Cup qualifiers, noting that Pakistani women are breaking barriers when given opportunity and support.
Secretary IPC and Pakistan Sports Board Director General Mohyuddin Ahmed Wani announced concrete plans for a national schoolgirls football tournament and promised institutional assistance with logistics, grounds and equipment to strengthen grassroots pathways. Such initiatives are intended to make women’s football more accessible across regions and age groups.
FIFA Head of Development Ariana Demirovic welcomed Pakistan’s growing presence on the international stage and reaffirmed FIFA’s commitment to long-term development programmes. Representatives from Right To Play, UN Women, media, coaches and former players contributed to discussions focused on access, safe playing spaces, trained female coaches and school football programmes.
PFF Head of Women’s Football Mejzgaan Orakzai set out the federation’s strategic vision for sustained development while PFF COO Shahid Khokhar reiterated the administration’s commitment to creating sustainable pathways for women in football. Emphasis was placed on ensuring that women lead women’s football structures and that substance accompanies any growth in visibility.
The symposium produced a roadmap aimed at translating momentum into year-round opportunities, with an emphasis on grassroots expansion, coach education and safe environments for girls to play and train. Stakeholders left Islamabad with clear priorities to keep advancing women’s football at all levels in Pakistan.
