LAHORE: Former president of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) Hafiz Imran Butt has expressed surprise over the Pakistan Sports Board’s (PSB) decision to ban four national weightlifters and three officials for four years for alleged doping violations.
The PSB, in a statement issued on Monday, said the bans were imposed following “conclusive anti-doping violations” established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Testing Agency (ITA) under Operation Jasmine.
However, Imran said all four weightlifters — Sharjeel Butt, Abdul Rehman, Ghulam Mustafa and Farhan Majeed — along with their coach Waqas Akbar, were already serving four-year bans imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) in 2022, which will conclude in March next year.
“I cannot understand the PSB’s decision,” Imran told Dawn on Monday.
“Our four weightlifters were banned because of a misunderstanding during WADA’s surprise visit to the national training camp at Railways Stadium, Lahore, in 2021.
“Dr Waqar Ahmad, the camp’s medical official, did not allow the WADA team to collect samples, doubting their authenticity. The athletes did not refuse testing — they only followed the doctor’s instructions. Still, the IWF imposed a four-year ban, which will end in March 2026.”
The former PWF chief said the PSB’s latest decision was taken “without conducting any inquiry” or summoning the athletes or officials concerned.
The PSB’s statement also announced four-year bans on Imran and his son, Irfan Butt, who serves as a PWF coach — though neither had been sanctioned by the IWF.
“After March 2026, our weightlifters will again be eligible to participate in international competitions,” Imran said.
According to the PSB press release, the banned individuals — including Imran, Irfan and coach Waqas Akbar — are prohibited from all sports-related activities for four years, effective immediately.
“The decision follows a sequence of events beginning in 2021, when several athletes evaded testing and later tested positive,” the PSB said, adding that multiple suspensions had been confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD) earlier this year.
The PSB reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to “clean competition and zero tolerance for doping,” noting that all banned athletes and officials would remain ineligible to hold office, access PSB facilities or participate in any sports activity until their suspension period ends.
Published in Dawn, November 4th, 2025
