The Pakistan Sports Board has imposed weightlifting bans on multiple athletes, coaches and officials following conclusive anti-doping findings by WADA and the ITA under Operation JASMINE. The PSB said the measures come after violations were confirmed and sanctions were finalised by the Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Division in early 2025.
Sharjeel Butt, Abdul Rehman, Ghulam Mustafa, Farhan Majeed, and former Pakistan Weightlifting Federation President Hafiz Imran Butt are among those named in the notice, along with coaches Irfan Butt and Waqas Akbar. The PSB clarified that athletes and coaches will remain barred for the full duration of their international bans, while officials face a four-year prohibition from all sports-related activities effective immediately.
The board traced the developments back to 2021 when several team members evaded testing and subsequently returned positive results during follow-up procedures. Those cases were examined under Operation JASMINE and resulted in suspensions that were later upheld by CAS ADD, prompting the PSB to enforce domestic sanctions consistent with international rulings.
Under the new restrictions, the individuals cannot participate in any sports activity, hold office, or access PSB facilities or benefits until their ineligibility periods expire. The PSB emphasised that these weightlifting bans are intended to preserve fair competition and protect the integrity of sport in Pakistan.
The notification of the PSB decision has been dispatched to international and regional bodies, including the IOC, OCA, IWF, AWF, WADA, ITA, CAS and the Pakistan Olympic Association, as well as other national and international stakeholders. The PSB reiterated Pakistan’s commitment as a signatory to the International Convention against Doping in Sport and said it will maintain zero tolerance for doping.
The board said it will continue cooperating with international authorities and implement necessary safeguards to prevent future breaches, while ensuring that the established weightlifting bans are applied consistently and transparently within the national sporting system.
