AIFF General Secretary, Shaji Prabhakaran, has assured Pakistan of a secure environment during the upcoming South Asian Football Federation (SAFF) Championship.

The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has signed a participation agreement with SAFF, confirming their participation in the tournament scheduled from June 21 to July 4.

As per the announced schedule, the Men in Green will compete in Group A alongside Nepal and Kuwait, while arch-rivals India will face the neighbors in the opening match.

Prabhakaran emphasized the relationship between AIFF and PFF, stating that cricketing confrontations between the two would not spill into the SAFF Championship.

He highlighted FIFA’s vision of uniting the world through football and reaffirmed that players should be judged based on their skills, regardless of caste, creed, or religion.

Prabhakaran assured that the necessary security arrangements would be made to host the Pakistan team in Bengaluru, the host city of the much-awaited tournament.

Minister for Inter-Provincial Coordination, Ehsan-ur-Rehman, expressed no objections to the team traveling to India but requested proper documentation from the PFF NC.

Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari emphasized the separation of sports and politics, highlighting that Pakistan recently hosted the Indian Bridge Team despite tensions between the two cricket boards.

He said that the event holds immense significance for Pakistan as it presents an opportunity to gain valuable match practice ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Source: Pro Pakistani