Federal govt orders inquiry into lifetime ban on Arshad’s coach Salman

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has taken notice of the lifetime ban imposed on Olympian Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, and has ordered a high-level inquiry into the matter.

According to media reports, the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has been directed to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation into the reasons and motives behind the Athletics Federation of Pakistan’s (AFP) controversial decision.

The PSB has also been instructed to submit its findings to the Ministry of Inter-Provincial Coordination upon completion of the inquiry. The Athletics Federation had earlier imposed a lifetime ban on Salman Butt for allegedly violating the federation’s constitution during the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA) elections.

Butt, however, dismissed the allegations as baseless and vindictive, vowing to continue guiding star javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem. The AFP’s disciplinary action followed what it described as “wilful, deliberate, and repeated acts of misconduct” by the two officials, who oversaw the PAA elections on August 31 despite explicit instructions to abstain. The federation stated that the elections were conducted unlawfully, with only a day’s notice, violating constitutional requirements related to procedures and timelines.

An inquiry committee was subsequently formed to investigate the incident. Both Butt and Shah were asked to justify their actions but failed to respond within the given timeframe. After reviewing the evidence, the AFP Executive Committee concluded that both individuals had committed gross violations of the federation’s constitution and demonstrated wilful insubordination. The committee declared the Punjab Athletics Association elections null and void and announced that fresh elections would be held under AFP supervision.

Furthermore, the federation directed all affiliated units and institutions to cease official interactions with the banned officials. Monitoring Desk