The Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) has imposed a four-year ban on some national weightlifters and officials for serious violations of anti-doping regulations.

According to the PSB, various athletes and office-bearers from the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWF) have been suspended following reports from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Testing Agency (ITA).

The banned individuals include weightlifters Sharjeel Butt, Abdul Rehman, Ghulam Mustafa, and Farhan Majeed, while former PWF president Hafiz Imran Butt and coaches Irfan Butt and Waqas Akbar have also been suspended.

The PSB said the sanctions will remain in effect for four years, during which the suspended athletes and officials will not be eligible to participate in any national or international sporting events under the Sports Board’s platform.

The action followed Operation Jasmine — a joint investigation launched by WADA and ITA in 2021 into doping violations within Pakistan’s weightlifting circuit.

The sources said a formal investigation was launched after four weightlifters — Sharjeel Butt, Abdul Rehman, Ghulam Mustafa, and Farhan Majeed — allegedly tried to evade a test in November 2021.

In August 2024, the ITA charged former PWF president Hafiz Imran Butt and coach Irfan Butt over possession and use of banned substances.

In February 2025, the Court of Arbitration for Sport’s Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD) imposed a four-year ban on the late Amjad Amin Butt (PWF Vice President) and coach Waqas Akbar.

The PSB stated that the evidence clearly confirmed multiple doping violations.

It added that the PWF had already been suspended after several hearings for failing to provide satisfactory explanations to the authorities.

Reaffirming its stance, the PSB said the disciplinary action reflects the government’s commitment to promoting clean and transparent sports in Pakistan, adding that strict enforcement of anti-doping laws will continue in the future.