PESHAWAR: The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) on Friday criticised the decision of the provincial government to rename Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium on Friday.
Member Provincial Assembly from Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Arbab Zarak Khan has condemned the move to rename Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium as “Imran Khan Cricket Stadium,” calling it malicious and unacceptable.
In his statement, the MPA from Peshawar criticised the KP government after accusing it of failing to initiate any major new projects during its 11 years in power.He said the government was attempting to cover up its poor performance by rebranding existing projects instead of delivering new hospitals, schools, or stadiums.
“This is not a new practice for the PTI government,” Arbab Zarak said. “They have a history of changing the names of successful public projects out of political vendetta. The attempt to rename the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) reflects the same mindset,” he pointed out.
The MPA said erasing the original names of historical places was not only unethical but also an example of treating state property as a personal possession.He pointed out that in 2021, the PTI government renamed Swat’s Nawaz Sharif Kidney Hospital as Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb Hospital (Wali of Swat), justifying that no government institution should be named after a living politician. “Now, the same government is naming a stadium after Imran Khan. Where are their principles now?” he questioned and called for retaining Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium’s original name.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) additional secretary information Arbab Khizer Hayat has also condemned the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government decision to rename a Arbab Niaz Stadium as Imran Khan Stadium, calling it a “dishonest and unethical act.”
In a statement, he accused the provincial government of failing to initiate any significant development projects during its 11-year tenure and instead taking credit for projects initiated by previous governments.
“They first changed the name of Nawaz Sharif Kidney Centre in Swat, and now they are renaming Arbab Niaz Stadium. This is unacceptable and disgraceful,” Hayat stated.
He also alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led government was engaging in such actions to divert public attention from its failures. He described the move as an insult to the stadium’s legacy, arguing that an internationally recognised venue should not be named after a “certified corrupt and controversial figure.”“At this rate, the incompetent provincial government might even rename the entire province after Imran Khan or Bushra Bibi,” he added.