Arbab Niaz Stadium case: KP Govt bids amendment in rules

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has decided to amend the government’s ‘Naming and Renaming of Public Places Rules 1994’ in view of the name change of the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Peshawar.

According to sources, a letter has been delivered to the secretary sports, culture and tourism for amendment in the rules. “The letter has recommended amendment in the local councils rules”.

Sources said that the government and public places could be named after a living person. The letter has suggested amendment in the rule 5 to reducing it to 30 year. In the current rule, the name of a place could not be changed until 50 years, according to sources.

A case has been under the hearing of the Peshawar High Court against the renaming of the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium, in which attributing the name of the public place to a living person has been challenged.

It has also been argued that a public place could not be renamed until 50 years.

Ali Gohar Durrani Advocate representing Arbab Amjad Ali has filed petition against the government’s renaming of the stadium.

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) in a hearing of the case directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial administration to submit its reply within a week.

The bench directed to the government lawyer to present concerned papers within a week and adjourned further hearing of the case until April 21.

The provincial government has officially renamed Arbab Niaz cricket Stadium in Peshawar as Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, despite opposition from various political groups and individuals.

The KP government last year decided to rename the stadium, which was originally named after Arbab Niaz Muhammad, a former federal sports minister from Peshawar, when it was built in 1984.

The decision sparked a controversy, and the matter was challenged by a petition in the high court.