World News | Political Leaders in Pakistan Condemn Renaming of Peshawar's Cricket Stadium After Imran Khan

Peshawar, Feb 26 (PTI) Mainstream political leaders from Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday strongly condemned the renaming of the only cricket stadium in the provincial capital Peshawar after jailed former premier Imran Khan.

Earlier this month, the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium was renamed after the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) supremo Khan to honour the cricketer-turned-politician's pivotal role in shaping the nation's sports landscape.

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Addressing a joint Press Conference here at Press Club, senior ANP leader and veteran politician Ghulam Ahmed Bilour, JUI-F central leader and former provincial governor Haji Ghulam Ali, and senior PPP leader and former federal minister Arbab Alamgir condemned the renaming.

Bilour criticised the PTI, stating that despite being in power for 13 years in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it failed to construct a single stadium. He said that if names can be changed this way, a future government might also rename facilities previously named after the PTI founder.

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He warned that renaming the stadium could harm Khan's reputation and suggested that instead of renaming, a new stadium should be built in his name.

Speaking at the event, Alamgir said that given the prevailing situation, he found it strange that the government was focused on renaming a stadium instead of addressing pressing issues.

He said that the province's biggest problems are worsening law and order and poor governance, while Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur is disregarding local traditions. By renaming the stadium, PTI's government has taken yet another U-turn, he said.

The PPP leader expressed concerns over the current state of the country, holding all political parties accountable for it.

He argued that renaming the stadium is merely a distraction from governance failures and urged the government to respect the province's traditions.

Alamgir stressed that certain matters should remain above politics.

Haji Ghulam Ali also addressed the press conference, emphasising the province's traditions and customs. He urged the chief minister to be mindful of them and condemned the stadium's renaming.

He asserted that renaming the stadium serves no purpose and suggested that instead of changing names the government should construct new stadiums for international sports events.

Separately, provincial governor Faisal Karim Kundi also strongly opposed the renaming of the stadium.

In a statement, he stated that naming a stadium after the main character of the May 9 mayhem in the country strengthened anti-state forces.

He accused the chief minister of being on a mission to erase the province's identity and destroy it.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)