ISLAMABAD, AUG 23 /DNA/ – The National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), on the request of the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB), has blocked the bank account of the suspended Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF), marking the beginning of a decisive crackdown against violations in sports governance.
The PSB made it clear that this action sends a strong message: there will be zero tolerance for irregularities, corruption or misuse of Pakistan’s name in sports.
The PSB spokesperson said that the action is in line with the agenda of Director General PSB Muhammad Yasir Pirzada to ensure transparency, accountability and good governance in all sports organizations across Pakistan.
He stressed that the government’s sports policy is based on zero tolerance against malpractice, corruption and violations of law, and similar action will follow wherever irregularities are found.
The DG PSB emphasized that no body failing to meet constitutional and legal requirements will be allowed to operate under the country’s banner.
The step was taken after PSB informed NBP that the PWLF, which stands suspended by PSB, is not incorporated under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017 and is operating in violation of national laws and regulations. Moreover, the federation has failed to comply with the Constitution of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), which requires a national body to be a separate and legally incorporated entity.
As of today, the official IWF website lists PWLF’s status as Temporarily Suspended (TS), which indicates that a member federation has provisionally lost its membership rights due to failure to fulfil obligations defined in Rule 8 of the IWF Constitution (Schedule 2 – Member in Good Standing Criteria).
The PSB further stated that PWLF was suspended during the 25th PSB Board Meeting held on July 6, 2022, based on the report of a delegate appointed pursuant to a judgment of the Lahore High Court.
The suspension was imposed due to alleged irregularities in its functioning, corrupt practices and violations of the anti-doping code. A detailed inquiry regarding the suspended office-bearers of PWLF is still ongoing.
Furthermore, according to an International Testing Agency (ITA) report, dated March 10, 2025, it was confirmed that the federation’s top officials committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs).
The PSB pointed out that only the sports organizations recognized or affiliated with PSB and incorporated under Section 42 of the Companies Act 2017 are entitled to regulate a sport in Pakistan, use the country’s name, or represent Pakistan internationally.
Since the PWLF did not fulfill these legal and regulatory requirements, PSB formally requested NBP to suspend its bank account (Account No. 2200026441 at Samanabad Branch, Lahore, now shifted to Allama Iqbal Town, Lahore). Following the PSB’s request, an email from NBP’s Operations Manager confirmed that the account has been debit blocked with immediate effect.
