National Cricket Ground president blames Kiani for hurling threats

Former president of the cricket ground rebuffs allegations

Islamabad

As the Metropolitan Corporation of Islamabad (MCI) is stuck to its decision of taking over all the nine cricket grounds in the federal capital, an official who was operating the sealed National Cricket Ground, has said that he is receiving threatening calls.

Shabbir Ahmed, president of the National Cricket Ground (NCG), said he was receiving threats from Abid Kiani, a former president of the club who is also a business partner of the Mayor of Islamabad. “The operation to seal the cricket ground was undertaken at behest of Abid Kiani,” he alleged.

Shabbir said that the personnel of MCI and CDA entered his office at the National Cricket Ground and ransacked his office. “We are not only maintaining the ground as first class cricket facility but are also arranging tournaments and matches there,” he said.

He said he was being accused of breaking seal at the cricket ground but on the other hand, Umer Kiani who is son of Abid Kiani has regularly been arranging a gym club inside the ground.

He said that he had also submitted an application against Abid Kiani at Kohsar Police Station. Abid Kiani when contacted by ‘The News’ denied all the charges against him saying that he had nothing to do with the operation. He alleged that Shabbir Ahmed was running the ground on commercial basis while the grounds are property of CDA and MCI. He said that he gave no threatening call to Shabbir Ahmed saying he had left presidentship of the club months back.