Pakistan Sports Board lifts lifetime ban on Arshad Nadeem's coach

LAHORE (Dunya News) – The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has officially lifted the lifetime ban imposed on Salman Butt, the coach of Olympic hero Arshad Nadeem.

The decision was announced by PSB arbitrator, Senator Pervez Rasheed, following a review of arguments from both parties.

The arbitrator ruled that the ban was unlawful, citing procedural lapses by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP). No charge sheet was issued, and Salman Butt was not provided a proper hearing before the ban was enforced.

The PSB’s ruling highlighted that the ban not only damaged Salman Butt’s professional reputation but also affected Arshad Nadeem’s training and preparations. The arbitrator also instructed the Athletics Federation to refrain from making any statements against Butt.

In addition, the PSB has suspended AFP’s decision to annul the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA) elections. The adjudicator noted that the elections had been conducted under the supervision of the Punjab Sports Board and Punjab Olympics Committee, and the AFP did not have direct authority over PAA’s internal matters.

Salman Butt had previously been handed a lifetime ban by the Athletics Federation of Pakistan. Butt challenged the decision, citing the PSB constitution, arguing that the ban was imposed without following due legal procedures.