Lahore, October 12, 2025: The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on Sunday announced a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, coach of Olympic gold medalist Arshad Nadeem, for what it described as “gross violations of the AFP Constitution.”
The decision, taken during an executive committee meeting on October 10, was aimed at “upholding transparency, constitutional compliance, and organizational integrity” within the federation, according to an AFP press release.
Butt — a former office-bearer of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA) — has been barred for life from participating in any athletics activity, whether as an athlete, coach, official, or office-bearer, at both national and international levels.
The disciplinary action comes amid AFP’s internal probe into Arshad Nadeem’s underwhelming performance at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo last month, where he finished 10th in the men’s javelin final.
In his written response to AFP, Butt attributed Arshad’s poor showing to heat, humidity, and a calf injury, but the federation’s subsequent inquiry found broader procedural and administrative issues.
The AFP also banned former PAA secretary Habib Shah for 10 years for similar violations and declared the PAA’s August 31 elections “illegal, unconstitutional, and void ab initio.”
According to the federation, the election notice was issued at midnight on August 29 — just two days before polling — whereas the AFP Constitution requires a 21-day advance notice and a seven-day window for nomination submissions.
AFP President Wajahat Hussain Sahi told media that even the senior vice president of the Punjab Athletics Association was unaware of the election schedule until a day before it was held, calling it “a deliberate attempt to undermine the AFP Constitution.”
To restore order, the AFP has appointed a Management Committee headed by senior vice president Madam Shahida Khanum to conduct fresh, transparent elections and manage the PAA’s affairs in the interim.
“The AFP remains fully committed to ensuring integrity, unity, and discipline for the promotion of athletics and welfare of athletes across Pakistan,” the statement said.
Sahi added that Butt, who was appointed as Arshad Nadeem’s coach after the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, has the right to appeal the lifetime ban under AFP’s constitution.
Under Butt’s guidance, Arshad went on to achieve historic success — winning gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, and gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
“This is a decades-long effort by AFP to bring glory to Pakistan, which we cannot allow to be derailed,” Sahi said, reaffirming the federation’s stance on strict adherence to constitutional norms.
