The Interim Committee of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF) has now requested the federal government, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) and the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) to demand the recovery of outstanding fines from suspended athletes.
Pakistan’s weightlifters will not be allowed to compete in the upcoming 20th Asian Games 2026 in Japan if the dues remain unpaid.
The recovery of the fines is mandatory to clear an international penalty that exceeds 30,000 USD. It was imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).
Pakistan Weightlifting has been placed under suspension after the violations of anti-doping regulations. It is a sanction that is expected to remain in effect until the penalty is cleared.
The case centers on weightlifters Talha Talib and Abu Bakar Ghani. In 2021, they were each fined 5000 USD. The amount has now increased beyond 30,000 USD due to non-payment.
Former PWLF President Hafiz Imran Butt was given a lifetime ban by a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a ruling on April 2, 2026.
On the other hand, Irfan Butt and Abu Bakar Ghani were handed four year bans.
The Chairman of the PWLF Interim Committee, Brigadier (R) Zahid Iqbal, has suggested that the Pakistan Olympic Association is allegedly supporting a doping mafia in a letter.
He has demanded the POA to immediately cancel the suspended federation’s affiliation and launch an internal inquiry.
The committee also requests that the POA must either cover the penalty themselves or recover it from those at fault.
To protect the country’s sports reputation, the Interim Committee has suggested that the PSB work with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to add the names of all suspended athletes, including Talha Talib, and involved former officials to the Exit Control List (ECL) or Passport Control List to stop them from leaving the country until the fines are settled.
Now, the committee has called on authorities to block any future international sports accreditation for these individuals until the funds are recovered.
Read more: PTF pays tribute to tennis legends Haroon Rahim, Muhammad Khaliq
