Managing and Regulating Sports in Pakistan: Balancing Legal Frameworks and Ethical Principles for Integrity and Fair Play

• Asfandyar Khan

  Author

Sport occupies a unique position at the intersection of physical competition, cultural passion, and institutional governance, necessitating a robust regulatory framework that harmonises law and ethics. This paper examines the conceptual foundations of sports, the emerging field of Sports Law, and the ethical principles that underpin fair and transparent sporting practices, with particular reference to the Pakistani context. Sports Law is conceptualised as a specialised legal domain governing the relationships among athletes, clubs, federations, spectators, and state authorities, guided by core principles of autonomy of sports bodies, legality, equality, integrity, and the protection of athletes’ physical and mental health. In Pakistan, the primary legislative instrument remains the Sports (Development and Control) Ordinance of 1962, supplemented by rules of national federations and international obligations under bodies such as the IOC and FIFA. The analysis reveals that, while the 1962 Ordinance establishes foundational governance and funding mechanisms, its implementation has been hampered by limited enforcement capacity, overlapping jurisdictions, and insufficient integration of contemporary ethical concerns such as anti-doping, match-fixing, gender equity, and spectator safety. The paper argues that achieving genuine integrity in Pakistani sports requires modernising the legal framework, strengthening independent regulatory institutions, and embedding ethical education across all stakeholders. Effective regulation must balance the autonomy of sports organisations with accountable state oversight, thereby fostering transparency, protecting participants, and preserving public trust in sport as a vehicle for national unity and positive social values.

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