- The NOC was granted after a notification from the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination and foreign affairs.
- The team will play friendly matches against Singapore on July 15 and 18.
- The PSB has previously faced delays in obtaining NOCs for other tours.
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The Pakistan women’s football team received a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for their upcoming tour of Singapore, granting them permission to travel. The Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination and foreign affairs issued a notification confirming the development. The team is scheduled to play friendly matches against Singapore on July 15 and 18.
Initially, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) had cited a shortage of time as the reason for their inability to process the NOC for the women’s football team’s tour. According to the PSB’s letter to the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), federations are required to submit all necessary documents for government clearance at least six weeks before the departure date.
The Football Association of Singapore had officially confirmed the tour to the PFF on June 26, and the PFF subsequently requested the NOC on June 27, shortly after the Eid holidays. A source within the PFF expressed surprise at the PSB’s expectation for the NOC documents to be submitted even before the tour was officially confirmed.
The PFF has previously encountered delays in obtaining NOCs for their tours to Mauritius and India, having to wait until the last minute for the necessary clearances. The Director General of the PSB, Shoaib Khoso, stated that the PFF has not been following the guidelines despite repeated reminders, emphasizing that there is a specific timeline for the NOC process and all federations are expected to adhere to it.
Shoaib further explained that the NOC is not issued by the PSB itself but by the Interior Ministry and Foreign Office, which require time to verify the players’ data through various agencies. He highlighted that the process typically takes four to six weeks to complete. Shoaib criticized the PFF’s handling of such matters, stating that the National Committee (NC) running the football federation lacks experience and understanding of the procedure. The PSB has processed the NOC request from the PFF, but the issuance of the NOC is now beyond their control.
