Arbab Niaz Stadium: Imran Khan inaugurates reconstruction work

PESHAWAR: Cricket icon and chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Imran Khan on Tuesday inaugurated the reconstruction work at Arbab Niaz Stadium to provide international standard facilities there.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Minister Shah Farman, Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Muhammad Atif, Minister for Higher Education Mushtaq Ghani, Secretary Sports Muhammad Tariq Khan, Director General Sports Junaid Khan, Director Female Games Miss Rashida Ghaznavi and a large number of youth were also present.

Imran Khan said that the stadium was being reconstructed with an estimated cost of Rs1.38 billion to provide international standard facilities there.

The former cricketer said that floodlights would be installed at the Arbab Niaz Stadium, which hosted seven international Tests and 17 One-day International matches, hopping the reconstruction and provision of modern days facilities would help bring international cricket back to Peshawar.

The PTI chief said the KP government was committed to involve the youth in healthy and productive activities and that was why the provincial government constructed playgrounds at Union Councils, tehsils and district levels.

Imran Khan said 100 grounds had been constructed under the project and handed over to the Directorate of Sports KP.

He said peace had been restored to the province after the long years of militancy and it was the right time to arrange and promote sports activities in the province.

Imran said the youth voted PTI to power in the KP and their welfare was the top priority of his party-led provincial government.

Imran Khan said the provincial government has started a number of activities to provide opportunities to the youth to exhibit their hidden talent and earn a good name for the province and the country.

Later, Imran Khan inaugurated the recently renovated Peshawar Sports Complex. The Stadium had been rehabilitated with a total cost of Rs164 million to provide enhanced sports activities to the youth and emerging players.

Director General Spots KP Junaid Khan briefed Imran Khan about the two projects, he said, that modern days facilities would be provided at the Arbab Niaz Satdium.

He said the ground would be upgraded, new pavilions, changing rooms, additional floor, floodlights, swimming pools, washrooms blocks and Indoor practice pitches would be constructed at the stadium while generators for floodlights and a National Cricket Academy (NCA) on the patron the one in Qaddafi Stadium Lahore would also be established at the facility.

A MoU for establishment of NCA has been signed with the Chief Operating Officer Pakistan Cricket Board, which would be the second of its kind in Pakistan.

About other sports projects, the DG sports said a squash complex would be constructed in Peshawar with an estimated cost of 100m, work has been launched on International Standard Multi-Purpose Gymnasium in Nowshera costing Rs220 while another such facilities would be constructed in Abbottabad at a cost of Rs204 million.

He said land has been identified for Sports Complex in Swat and others project worth millions of rupees were in difference stages of completion.

He said renovation of Peshawar Sports Complex had been completed with the cost of Rs164 million.

H said new changing rooms, sitting area, dining, conference and office rooms, washrooms blocks, galleries, Jawan Markaz, standby generators and others facilities were arranged at the facility.