The Pakistan Athletics Federation (AFP) has imposed a lifetime ban on Salman Butt, coach of Olympic champion javelin thrower Arshad Nadeem, citing “serious constitutional violations.”
The federation said that this decision was made to uphold “transparency, constitutional integrity, and organizational discipline.”
The action comes as the federation investigates the reasons behind Arshad Nadeem’s recent dip in performance, he placed 10th in the javelin final at the World Athletics Championships held in Tokyo last month. In response, Butt attributed the decline to Tokyo’s hot, humid weather and Arshad’s shin pain.
According to a press release, several disciplinary and administrative decisions were made during an Executive Committee meeting on October 10, chaired by AFP President Maj. Gen. (Retd) Wajahat Saeed Sahi. The committee found Salman Butt—formerly affiliated with the Punjab Athletics Association and a signatory of the AFP constitution—guilty of grave violations and banned him for life from all athletics-related activities, both nationally and internationally.
Former Punjab Athletics Association Secretary Habib Shah has also been banned for 10 years.
Salman Butt, according to federation, retains the right to appeal the decision, as per the federation’s rules.
Salman Butt had been appointed Arshad Nadeem’s coach after the Tokyo 2021 Olympics. Under his coaching, Arshad achieved several major milestones, including gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, silver at the 2023 World Athletics Championships, and gold at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
