ISLAMABAD: President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and FIFA Senior Vice President, Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, called on Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad .

The Prime Minister extended a warm welcome to Sheikh Salman and appreciated the active role played by the AFC under his leadership in promoting football across Asia. He said that the government is committed to promoting sports in the country and providing opportunities for the youth to excel in all disciplines, including football. The Prime Minister reiterated his resolve to make Pakistan an important football hub in the region and to establish an independent and merit-based football federation.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed keen interest in enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and the AFC in areas such as football development, training of coaches and referees, and the establishment of modern stadiums and national training centres across the country — including in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan. He also conveyed Pakistan’s desire to host AFC matches in the near future.

Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa thanked the Prime Minister for his warm hospitality and assured him that the AFC would continue to extend its full support for the promotion and development of football in Pakistan.