Pakistan Sports Board bans weightlifters, officials for four years over doping violation

The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has imposed four-year bans on multiple weightlifting officials and athletes after confirmed anti-doping rule violations were established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Testing Agency (ITA) under Operation JASMINE.

Those banned include athletes Sharjeel Butt, Abdul Rehman, Ghulam Mustafa, and Farhan Majeed, as well as Hafiz Imran Butt (former president of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation), Irfan Butt (coach), and Waqas Akbar (coach).

In a statement, the PSB said the athletes and coaches will remain suspended for the full duration of their international bans, while the officials have been barred from all sports-related activities for four years with immediate effect.

The disciplinary action follows a chain of events dating back to 2021, when several Pakistani athletes were accused of evading doping tests and later tested positive for prohibited substances. The Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD) upheld their suspensions earlier in 2025.

The PSB clarified that all those sanctioned will remain ineligible to participate in any sporting activity, hold official positions, or access any sports-related facilities or privileges until their bans expire.

Reaffirming its stance on fair play, the PSB said Pakistan, as a signatory to the International Convention against Doping in Sport, remains committed to integrity, transparency, and zero tolerance for doping in all forms.

Copies of the ban notification have been circulated to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), Asian Weightlifting Federation (AWF), WADA, ITA, CAS, the Pakistan Olympic Association, and other relevant national and international bodies.