Pakistan Weightlifting faces sanctions over doping: Interim committee seeks fine recovery, urges to place culprits on ECL

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Jun, 2026) The Interim Committee of the Pakistan Weightlifting Federation (PWLF) has formally approached the Federal Government, the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA), and the Pakistan Sports board (PSB) to demand the immediate recovery of outstanding fines from suspended athletes and former officials. This recovery is essential to clear an international penalty exceeding 30,000 USD imposed by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF).

The committee warned that if these dues remain unpaid, Pakistani weightlifters will be barred from competing in the upcoming 20th Asian Games 2026 in Japan as well as the proposed 2027 South Asian Games in Pakistan.

The global governing body placed Pakistan Weightlifting under suspension following systematic violations of anti-doping regulations, a sanction that will persist until the entire financial liability is cleared. This ongoing deadlock directly threatens the careers and futures of the country's clean athletes.

The financial crisis stems from 2021 when weightlifters Talha Talib and Abu Bakar Ghani were each fined 5,000 USD, an amount that has now ballooned past 30,000 USD due to non-payment. Furthermore, a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruling on April 2, 2026, handed down a lifetime ban to former PWLF President Hafiz Imran Butt, alongside four-year bans for Irfan Butt and Abu Bakar Ghani.

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In an official letter, the Chairman of the PWLF Interim Committee, Brigadier (R) Zahid Iqbal, severely pointed out the Pakistan Olympic Association, accusing it of backing a "doping mafia" by allowing the banned former president to retain his post. The letter demands that the POA immediately cancel the affiliation of the suspended federation and launch an internal investigation into why the payment of the international fine was obstructed.

The committee maintains that the POA should either pay the penalty out of its own pocket or ensure it is clawed back from those responsible.

To protect the nation's sporting image, the Interim Committee has recommended that the PSB enlist the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to place the Names of all suspended athletes, including Talha Talib, and implicated former officials on the Exit Control List (ECL) or Passport Control List to prevent them from traveling abroad before clearing the fines.

The committee has also urged authorities to deny any future international sports accreditation to these individuals until the money is recovered. Finally, the letter appealed to the Pakistan Sports Board to contact the IWF to request a temporary reinstatement of the Interim Committee so that the rights of clean Pakistani lifters can be safeguarded.