In a move that will not go down well with the Federal Government and the political and military establishment of the country, the Provincial government of Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has named the iconic cricket stadium in Peshawar after jailed former Prime Minister and World Cup-winning skipper Imran Khan.
The order by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gundapur, a copy of which is with Telecom Asia Sport (www.tekecomasia.net), says the provincial ministry is independent in taking the decision.
The honorable chief minister KPK has a desire for renaming of Arbab Niaz Stadium in Shahi Bagh Peshawar as Imran Khan Stadium Shahi Bagh Peshawar.
The Arbab Niaz Stadium, located in Shahi Bagh Peshawar, was originally constructed by the Municipal Corporation of Peshawar through the Peshawar Development Authority under the directive of the then President of Pakistan. Initially, the Stadium had a seating capacity of 5,000 spectators and a small pavilion for local cricket matches.
On December 15, 1985, the Stadium was transferred from the Municipal Corporation Peshawar to the then Sports Board.
Subsequently, the provisional government undertook its development during the fiscal year 1986-87. Later on, the Stadium was further improved and provided some facilities when the World Cup matches were held in India and Pakistan in 1996.
The stadium has, so far, hosted six Tests and 15 ODIs. The last ODI staged at the stadium was in 2006 when India played Pakistan.
The decision of the KPK government - under Khan’s party Tehrik-e-Insaf - will not go well with the federal government which has cracked down on Khan and his party.
Khan led Pakistan to their only ODI World Cup title in 1992. He was regarded as one of the all-time great all-rounders in world cricket.
He served as Prime Minister of Pakistan from August 2018 to 2022 and was ousted after a vote of No Confidence. He was jailed in corruption cases which he denies.
