An undated image of nationwide Javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem (proper) and his coach, Salman Butt. — Instagram/@arshadnadeem29Order cites constitutional violations and lack of due course of.AFP instructed to withdraw opposed letters despatched internationally.Ban seen as harming Arshad Nadeem’s competitors preparations.
KARACHI: The Pakistan Sports activities Board (PSB) has overturned a lifetime ban imposed on outstanding coach Salman Iqbal Butt, the coach of Olympic Gold Medalist Arshad Nadeem, a choice that restores his standing.
The ruling, issued by Senator Pervaiz Rashid in his capability as an adjudicator for the Pakistan Sports activities Board, declared the ban imposed by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan “without lawful authority, unconstitutional, ultra vires, and void ab initio,” which means it was invalid from the outset.
The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) had imposed the ban on October 12 however Butt challenged it, arguing it was issued with out jurisdiction, due course of or authorized foundation. After detailed proceedings, the adjudicator sided with the coach in a last order dated November 13.
“The lifetime ban has no legal effect and is declared void,” the order said. It instructed the AFP to “immediately withdraw all adverse communications” despatched to worldwide our bodies like World Athletics and Asian Athletics, which had broken Butt’s international standing. The federation can be now restrained from issuing any future “defamatory or prejudicial communications” in opposition to Butt.
In his choice, the adjudicator discovered a number of authorized and procedural failures within the AFP’s actions. The ruling said that no formal cost sheet was ever issued to Butt, no inquiry report was supplied, and he was given no significant proper to a listening to or protection.
“A penalty imposed in violation of due process is void ab initio,” the order learn, citing violations of Articles 4, 10-A and 25 of the Structure of Pakistan. It additionally famous the penalty of a lifetime ban was “ultra vires, excessive, and unsupported by any constitutional authority” inside the AFP’s personal guidelines.
The case additionally concerned a dispute over the Punjab Athletics Affiliation elections, which the AFP had declared null and void.
The adjudicator’s order dominated that the AFP had no jurisdiction over the matter, because the PAA is a provincial physique whose elections are supervised by the Punjab Sports activities Board and Punjab Olympic Affiliation. The elections had been noticed by nominated officers, and no objections had been raised on the time.
The ruling highlighted the ban’s unfavorable impression on Pakistan’s elite athletics programme. Butt has coached Arshad Nadeem for years, together with throughout his historic efficiency on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games.
The adjudicator’s order famous that the AFP’s actions “disrupted Pakistan’s high-performance athlete’s preparations, created uncertainty for a leading Olympic athlete, damaged national medal prospects, and risked reputational harm internationally.”
The file included a written endorsement from Nadeem himself supporting Butt and opposing the ban.
The Pakistan Sports activities Board’s authorized advisor, Saif ur Rehman Rao, assisted through the proceedings. The AFP was represented by its president, Brigadier (R) Wajahat Hussain, and advocate Usman Akram. The adjudicator overruled the AFP’s objection to the petition’s maintainability, affirming his full jurisdiction below the PSB Structure.
With this order, all of Butt’s skilled rights, standing, and privileges as a nationwide athletics coach have been restored.
