Islamabad, November 24, 2025: A month-long legal battle and a lifetime ban could not keep Salman Butt from guiding javelin star Arshad Nadeem to another global triumph, as the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has now declared the ban “illegal and void.”
Butt, the Asian Director of Development for World Athletics, had been suspended by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on October 12 over alleged “gross violations” of its constitution linked to elections held by the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), of which he was president until August 6. The lifetime ban barred him from participating in any national or international athletics activities.
Following an appeal, PSB appointed Senator Pervaiz Rashid as adjudicator, who on November 13 ruled in Butt’s favour. The final order, released today, declared the ban “without lawful authority, unconstitutional, ultra vires, and void ab initio.”
“AFP’s attempt to unilaterally declare PAA’s elections as null and void is without jurisdiction, as election supervision lies with the provincial authorities, not AFP,” the order read.
It further highlighted that no formal charge sheet, inquiry report, or meaningful right of hearing had been provided to Butt. Moreover, the AFP Constitution contains no provision authorising a lifetime ban on an individual coach. The adjudicator noted that the ban had disrupted national high-performance preparations, created uncertainty for Arshad Nadeem, and risked Pakistan’s reputation internationally.
The PSB directed AFP to withdraw all adverse communications sent to national and international bodies regarding Butt, and to restore all his professional rights, privileges, and status as a national athletics coach. AFP was also restrained from issuing defamatory or prejudicial communications against him in the future.
Butt, speaking to Dawn during an overseas conference, said, “We feel that justice has been served. And now, I’ll continue with the work I’m doing.” He accompanied Arshad to the Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, where the 28-year-old defended his gold medal in javelin, further cementing his status as one of Pakistan’s premier athletes.
The ruling also recognized Arshad’s support for Butt, noting that he had written to the Pakistan Olympics Association (POA) endorsing his coach’s continued guidance. The order emphasized that AFP’s actions were inconsistent with responsible governance and caused damage to Pakistan’s sporting reputation globally by prematurely informing international bodies such as World Athletics and Asian Athletics about the ban.
With the legal hurdle cleared, Salman Butt is now expected to continue preparing national athletes for upcoming international competitions, including the Asian Games 2026 and other global athletics events.
