The cup competition, which ran from 24 January 2023 until 12 May 2024, featured 27 departmental teams from across the country vying for the title, which was defended by the 2020 champions WAPDA.
[2] The tournament was announced briefly after departmental sports in Pakistan were restored in August 2022 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
[2][3][4] Departmental teams were then restricted to the PFF National Challenge Cup, following their controversial participation in the Pakistani domestic league setup in the previous years.
[7] After an uncertain inactivity almost 15 months after it began, the National Challenge Cup knockout stage was finally announced to reach its end in Lahore from May 1 to 12 in 2024.
[1] The venue was ultimately shifted to Islamabad, with Jinnah Stadium hosting the semifinals and final, and the group stage and the rest of knockout round at local nearby grounds.