KARACHI: Former Pakistan Weightlifting Federation president Hafiz Imran Butt and former Pakistan Weightlifting Federation coach Irfan Butt have each been sanctioned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD) with a lifetime ineligibility for anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) committed between September 2014 and November 2016.
Also, Pakistani weightlifter Abubakar Ghani has also been sanctioned by the CAS ADD with a four-year period of ineligibility for tampering. According to the press statement issued on Thursday by International Testing Agency, the former President of the Pakistani Weightlifting Federation (PWLF), Hafiz Imran Butt, and the former national coach of the PWLF, Irfan Butt, had been charged by the ITA (on behalf of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF)) with ADRVs under the IWF Anti-Doping Rules (IWF ADR) in relation to their involvement in the administration of prohibited substances to Pakistani athletes, including minors, between September 2014 and November 2016.
“The investigation uncovering the ADRVs was led by the ITA. Following the results management process, on 1 April, 2025, the matters were referred by the ITA to the CAS ADD for adjudication, and a joint hearing covering both cases took place before the CAS ADD on 30 June, 2025.
“After hearing the parties and upon consideration of the written submissions and evidence, on 20 March, 2026, the CAS ADD issued its decision concluding that Hafiz Imran Butt and Irfan Butt had each committed ADRVs under Article 2.8 (Administration of a Prohibited Substance) of the IWF ADR,” stated ITA.
Notably, it added, the CAS ADD found that both athlete support personnel had been directly involved in the administration of prohibited substances, including steroids, to Pakistani athletes, including minors, and had played central roles in large-scale doping in Pakistan, having actively and continuously engaged in doping practices.
