The ITA reports on its investigative and prosecutorial activities concerning the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation

The International Testing Agency (ITA) confirms as follows:

1. On 10 November 2021 in Pakistan, four Pakistani weightlifters were subject to an attempted out-of-competition testing mission (ITA OOC Mission). Athletes, Sharjeel Butt, Abdur Rehman, Ghulam Mustafa and Farhan Amjad, refused to provide a sample. Following the Results Management process, the cases were referred by the ITA to the Court of Arbitration for Sport Anti-Doping Division (CAS ADD). On 1 March 2024, CAS ADD issued its final award concluding that each athlete had committed a violation of Article 2.3 of the IWF Anti-Doping Rules (“IWF ADR”) for Evading Sample collection; or refusing or failing to submit to Sample collection without compelling justification. The Athletes were each sanctioned with a period of ineligibility of 4 years from 10 March 2022 to 9 March 2026 and the disqualification of all competitive results from 10 November 2021 onwards.

2. In relation to their involvement and conduct during the ITA OOC Mission, the ITA asserted ADRVs under Article 2.5 (Tampering with Doping Control) and Article 2.9 (Complicity) against coach Waqas Akbar and Vice-President of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation Amjad Amin Butt. Both support personnel have challenged the asserted ADRVs and the matters are pending a determination before CAS ADD.

3. On 2 August 2024, the ITA notified a further two athlete support personnel from the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation, coach Irfan Butt and President Hafiz Imran Butt, of apparent ADRVs. Irfan Butt has been notified of apparent ADRV under Article 2.6 (Possession of Prohibited Substances) and Article 2.8 (Administration of Prohibited Substances) of the IWF ADR committed during the course of 2014 and 2016. President Hafiz Imran Butt has been notified of apparent ADRVs under Article 2.6 (Possession of Prohibited Substances), Article 2.8 (Administration of Prohibited Substances) and Article 2.9 (Complicity) of the IWF ADR, committed during the course of 2014 and 2016.

Given that more than three athletes from the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation have committed ADRVs within a 12-month period, this has triggered Article 12.3¹ of the IWF ADR. As a result, the matter will be referred to IWF’s Independent Member Federation Sanctioning Panel (IMFSP) to impose appropriate consequences.

No further comments will be made on these cases.