Ali Tareen has emerged as a surprise contender in the bidding war to establish a new football league in Pakistan, entering the race against two franchise league merchants who have long attempted to launch such an event.
The former owner of Pakistan Super League (PSL) cricket franchise Multan Sultans confirmed on Wednesday, the deadline for submissions, that he had sent a proposal to the Pakistan Football Federation.
Last month, the PFF invited expressions of interest from individuals and companies looking to organize a league in a bid to revive the domestic structure of football in the country.
“I have proposed a season (six-month) long league for Pakistan football, not a flashy, one-month cash-grab tournament,” Ali wrote on X.
Pakistan has not hosted a functioning football league since the last edition of the Pakistan Premier Football League in 2019. That competition featured a mix of departmental teams and a handful of clubs.
Two other proposals have come from entities seeking to launch franchise football leagues in Pakistan on similar lines to the PSL.
Global Soccer Ventures (GSV) held a launch event for its proposed Pakistan Football League in Lahore in June last year, featuring England striker Michael Owen. The company claims it has already sold five of its eight franchises and stands ready to launch.
The third expression of interest comes from Zabe Khan, who formerly worked with GSV as K-Electric sports head but left the company following the launch event amid claims that GSV had not honored its contracts. Khan proposes a franchise league that will run for about a month to 45 days.
Sources indicate that another entity with long-standing ambitions of setting up a franchise league backs his proposal.
The three bidders will give detailed presentations to the Mohsen Gilani-led PFF on December 29, after which the country’s football governing body will make a formal decision on which entity to partner with.
PFF president Mohsen Gilani told reporters at a Lahore event last week that the federation received an encouraging number of proposals from groups determined to deliver a new and improved league system.
He stressed that the fresh leadership aims to build something stronger and more sustainable, and the league will not be rushed but will be done the right way.
Tareen’s football league proposal comes just weeks after he announced his departure from Multan Sultans on November 25, 2025.
The Pakistan Cricket Board did not extend him a renewal offer while all five other PSL franchises renewed their agreements for the next 10 years.
Tareen had been locked in a year-long dispute with the PCB over governance and transparency issues, which escalated after he publicly criticised the league’s management.
The PCB sent him a legal notice demanding a retraction and public apology, to which Tareen responded with a sarcastic video where he tore up the notice.
In his farewell message, Tareen said he would “rather lose the team standing on my feet than run it from my knees,” marking an end to his seven-year association with one of the PSL’s most successful franchises.