AFP Forms Committee to Oversee Punjab Athletics Affairs After Lifetime Ban on Arshad Nadeem’s Coach

October 14, 2025, LAHORE: The Athletics Federation of Pakistan (AFP) on Monday appointed a new management committee to run the affairs of the Punjab Athletics Association (PAA), following the imposition of a lifetime ban on Arshad Nadeem’s coach, Salman Butt, and the nullification of the PAA’s August elections.

The AFP declared the recent PAA elections “illegal, unconstitutional, and null and void,” citing violations of its constitution. The newly appointed committee, headed by Shahida Khanum, AFP senior vice president, has been tasked with administering routine operations and conducting fair and constitutionally valid elections within 90 days.

The decision follows disciplinary action announced Sunday, where AFP barred Salman Butt from all athletics-related activities at national and international levels for life. Additionally, Habib Shah, former PAA secretary, received a 10-year ban for similar violations.

According to AFP’s press release, the 13-member committee includes notable figures such as Asghar Ali Gill, Supreme Court advocate and former PAA president; Shahina Ishtiaq, AFP treasurer; and (Retd) Major Masood Haider, ex-coach of Pakistan Army Athletics. Other members include former athletes, coaches, and education professionals with ties to athletics development in Punjab.

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The committee has also been directed to draft a new PAA constitution aligned with AFP’s framework, and to manage the association’s operations until elections are completed. It has the authority to co-opt additional AFP members and seek an extension if necessary.

The shakeup follows scrutiny over Arshad Nadeem’s underwhelming performance at the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, where he finished 10th. Butt had attributed the result to high humidity and Arshad’s calf injury.