ISLAMABAD: Pakistani lawmaker Syeda Amnah Batool has been appointed to FIFA’s Institutional Reforms Committee, making her the sole representative from her country on various committees of the global football body, state media reported on Thursday. 

FIFA’s reforms committee determines how the global football body is governed, operates and interacts with member associations and other football stakeholders. 

Syeda Amnah Batool is a member of Pakistan’s National Assembly from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) party. She also serves as focal person to the Prime Minister’s Youth Program.

“The appointment marks a significant achievement for Pakistan in both the sporting and diplomatic spheres, as Syeda Amna Batool becomes the sole Pakistani representative currently serving on various FIFA committees,” the state-run Associated Press of Pakistan said in a report.

APP said Batool’s appointment reflects FIFA’s renewed confidence in Pakistan’s institutional direction and its constructive role in global football governance.

The development takes place after FIFA Senior Vice President Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa’s three-day visit to Pakistan last month. The FIFA official discussed the development of football infrastructure with Pakistani football executives and government officials during his trip.

Pakistan’s relations with FIFA have improved recently, with the global body suspending Pakistan as a member three times over the past eight months. It last suspended Pakistan in February this year after the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) rejected its electoral reforms. 

FIFA lifted the suspension a month later in March when the PFF unanimously approved FIFA’s proposed constitutional amendments in an extraordinary meeting. 

Football has long been popular among Pakistan’s youth but in recent years participation has grown at the grassroots level amid rising interest in international leagues.

Local tournaments, school competitions, and community clubs across major cities have further fueled enthusiasm for the sport.