BY OUR CORRESPONDENT
ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has dismissed the petition filed by the Pakistan Athletics Federation (PAF) challenging the decision of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Adjudicator to lift the lifetime ban imposed on Olympic champion Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Iqbal Butt.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir dismissed the athletics federation’s plea seeking to set aside the PSB adjudicator’s order dated November 13, 2025, which had lifted the lifetime ban on Salman Iqbal Butt and directed the Pakistan Athletics Federation to withdraw all letters written to international bodies against the coach.
The court further instructed the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Board to hear the Athletics Federation’s appeal against the adjudicator’s decision and decide the matter in accordance with the law.
In its order, the court directed the PSB Board to hear the appeal within the current month and announce a final decision thereafter.
Earlier, the Pakistan Athletics Federation had imposed a lifetime ban on coach Salman Iqbal Butt. However, the PSB Adjudicator, headed by Senator Pervaiz Rashid, later lifted the ban, declaring it unconstitutional.
Aggrieved by the decision, the Pakistan Athletics Federation approached the Islamabad High Court seeking restoration of the ban. The court, however, dismissed the petition and referred the matter back to the PSB Board for final adjudication.
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