Athletics Federation of Pakistan imposes lifetime ban on Arshad Nadeem’s coach Salman Butt

The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) has imposed a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, coach of Olympic gold medallist Arshad Nadeem, citing “gross violations” of the federation’s constitution.

According to a press release issued by the AFP, the decision was made during an executive committee meeting held on October 10 under the chairmanship of AFP President Wajahat Hussain Sahi. The federation stated that the disciplinary action was taken to ensure “transparency, constitutional compliance, and organizational integrity.”

The ban bars Butt from participating in any athletics-related activity — whether as a coach, athlete, official, or office bearer — at both national and international levels. The AFP also announced a 10-year ban on Habib Shah, former secretary of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), for similar violations.

In addition, the AFP declared the Punjab Athletics Association’s elections held on August 31, 2025, as “illegal, unconstitutional, and null and void.” The federation said the elections were announced only two days in advance, violating the requirement of a 21-day notice under AFP’s constitution. It also noted that the senior vice president of the PAA had not been informed of the election schedule until a day before the vote.

To address the situation, the AFP formed a management committee headed by Senior Vice President Shahida Khanum to oversee the association’s routine affairs and conduct fresh, transparent elections.

AFP President Wajahat Sahi told Dawn.com that the PAA had informed the federation about the elections late at night on August 29, despite being notified earlier that such a move would be considered unlawful. He said Butt was no longer eligible to serve as PAA president after August 6, the original election date, but had sought to contest the position again.