PAKISTAN have been kicked out of international football for six months by the world's governing body, FIFA.
The general secretary of FIFA, Joseph ''Sepp'' Blatter, announced the verdict in a strongly-worded fax to the Pakistan Football Federation in Lahore.
The ban follows a farcical incident when rival factions within Pakistan football sent two different teams to an Asian Youth Championship qualifying tournament in the United Arab Emirates last month.
A suspension was recommended to FIFA by the general secretary of the Kuala Lumpur-based Asian Football Confederation, Peter Velappan.
An ongoing battle within Pakistan football has pitted the president, Mian Mohammed Azhar, against his general secretary, Hafiz Salman Butt, in the national federation.
In his fax to the Pakistan federation, Blatter said: ''The Pakistan Football Federation is herewith suspended from any international activity until a satisfactory solution has been found and the situation has returned to normal. If no solution can be found within the next six months, FIFA, together with the AFC, will send a delegation of officials in order to help to solve the problem.''
