The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has officially notified the “Term Rules 2025”, bringing sweeping governance reforms for all national sports federations, including age and term limits for office bearers and the potential for lengthy bans or lifetime disqualification in case of violations.
Under the new rules, issued in continuation of the National Sports Policy 2005, the position of President has been declared the highest office within any federation, the sports board said in a statement.
Alternate designations such as Chairman, CEO, or equivalents will no longer be acceptable, according to the notification.
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The rules set the maximum age limit for office bearers at 70 years, after which the seat will be considered automatically vacated. No individual will be permitted to hold office in more than one federation simultaneously. Federations have been given 90 days to align their constitutions accordingly.
The “Term Rules 2025” comprise six major clauses and 24 sub-clauses and take immediate effect. A maximum of two four-year terms will be allowed for any office, capping the total tenure at eight years.
Moreover, officials who have served in senior positions will be barred from contesting for lower posts within the same or other federations. In case of a mid-term vacancy, the newly elected office bearer’s term will be counted within the eight-year limit.
In the event of a violation, the Director General of PSB will be authorised to initiate an inquiry. If misconduct is confirmed, the individual may face a ban ranging from four to six years, during which they will be ineligible for funding, roles, or any benefits related to the federation.
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The rules also empower the DG PSB to recommend further legal or administrative action to the federal government if violations are ignored. Repeated violations could lead to permanent disqualification from all sports-related roles. A central database will be created to maintain and publish the list of disqualified individuals on the PSB website.
Affected persons will have the right to file a written appeal with the Panel of Adjudicators, as per the relevant provisions of the Code of Ethics and Governance in Sports. Federations that fail to comply risk cancellation of their registration and suspension of government funding.
These measures mark a major push toward institutional accountability and standardisation of leadership tenure across Pakistan’s sporting landscape.
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