A lifetime ban and month-long legal battle did not stop Salman Butt from coaching Arshad Nadeem to yet another global javelin title at the Islamic Solidarity Games last week. The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Adjudicator has now declared Salman’s ban “illegal and void,” allowing him to resume his coaching duties.
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Salman, serving as the Asian Director of Development for World Athletics, expressed relief, saying, “We feel that justice has been served. And now, I’ll continue with the work I’m doing.”
The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) had imposed the ban on October 12, citing “gross violations of the AFP Constitution” due to “illegal and unconstitutional” elections held by the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), of which Salman was president until August 6. The ban barred him from participating in any national or international athletics activities.
Salman appealed the decision, and the PSB appointed Senator Pervaiz Rashid as adjudicator. Meanwhile, Salman was cleared to accompany Arshad Nadeem to Riyadh, where the 28-year-old successfully defended his gold medal.
The final hearing, held on November 13, found that AFP’s actions were “without lawful authority, unconstitutional, ultra vires, and void ab initio.” The adjudicator clarified that election supervision lies with provincial authorities, not AFP, and that the federation had no constitutional provision to impose a lifetime ban on a coach.
The order highlighted that Salman had not been issued a formal charge sheet, inquiry report, or a meaningful opportunity to defend himself. It also acknowledged the negative impact on athletes like Arshad Nadeem, stating that AFP’s actions had disrupted high-performance preparations, created uncertainty, and damaged Pakistan’s medal prospects.
PSB directed AFP to immediately withdraw all adverse communications sent to national or international bodies and restore all professional rights, status, and privileges of Salman as a national coach. The federation is also restrained from issuing any defamatory or prejudicial statements in the future.
The adjudicator noted that AFP’s circulation of the ban to international bodies, including World Athletics and Asian Athletics, had harmed Salman’s reputation and Pakistan’s image in global sporting forums. The order concluded that AFP’s conduct was “improper, premature, and harmful to Pakistan’s sporting reputation.”
With his professional standing fully restored, Salman Butt is now back to mentoring national athletes, ensuring that Pakistan’s top performers receive the support they need to succeed on the world stage.
