On October 12, 2025, the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) imposed a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, coach of Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem, for “gross violations of the AFP Constitution.”
The AFP announced its decision following an executive meeting on October 10, chaired by AFP President Wajahat Hussain Sahi, which aimed to uphold transparency and integrity. Habib Shah, the former secretary of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), has received a 10-year ban.
The AFP has nullified the PAA’s elections scheduled for August 31, 2025, due to procedural violations. According to the AFP Constitution, there must be a 21-day notice for electoral meetings and a seven-day notice for nomination submissions. However, the PAA announced the elections at 11:39 p.m. on August 29, providing only two days’ notice. Even the PAA’s senior vice president was not informed until August 30. The press release stated, “These actions undermine the AFP Constitution.”
BREAKING NEWS: The Athletics Federation of Pakistan has imposed a life ban on Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Iqbal Butt, for violating the AFP constitution during the Punjab Athletics Association elections. The decision also disqualifies him from continuing as Arshad Nadeem’s… pic.twitter.com/CmecXhmSUR
— Faizan Lakhani (@faizanlakhani) October 12, 2025A Management Committee, led by Shahida Khanum, will oversee new PAA elections and manage affairs until completion. Butt, no longer PAA president since August 6, reportedly contested the invalid polls.
The bans follow Arshad Nadeem’s 10th-place finish at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, which Butt attributes to heat, humidity, and calf pain. Butt coached Nadeem to gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, silver in 2023, and Olympic gold in 2024. AFP President Sahi emphasised, “We uphold the law to protect Pakistan’s athletic glory.”
Read: Arshad Nadeem Reaches Javelin Final at Tokyo World Championships 2025
The bans signal AFP’s commitment to constitutional compliance amid scrutiny of governance. Butt’s appeal right offers a chance for resolution, but the ruling could impact Nadeem’s coaching.
