PESHAWAR, Sept.22- A petition has been filed in Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the renaming of Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium to Imran Khan Cricket Stadium.
The petition has been filed by Amjad Ali Arbab, Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, Haji Ghulam Ali, Arbab Mohammad Alamgir, Kashif Azam and Arbab Khizr Hayat through Ali Gohar Durrani Advocate.
The petitioners maintain that the name of Arbab Cricket Stadium has been changed to Imran Khan Cricket Stadium Shahi Bagh Peshawar.
The provincial cabinet approved the change of name of the stadium in its 25th meeting on February 21, 2025. According to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Local Council Rules 1994, after naming or changing a place, it cannot be changed for 50 years.
The petitioners said that Arbab Niaz Stadium was built in 1984 and its original name was Shahi Bagh Cricket Stadium. After the death of former Federal Minister for Sports Arbab Niaz, then Municipal Corporation Peshawar (MCP) renamed the stadium after Arbab Niaz through a resolution in 1987.
The petitioners have took the position that according to the Administration Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa guidelines, public assets cannot be named after a living person. The provincial government changed the name of the stadium on political basis.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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