Pindi Stadium’s lease matter still pending

ISLAMABAD: Though Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has already invested Rs600 million on the recent uplift of the Pindi Cricket Stadium, the matter of lease is still pending with the Rawalpindi administration, which is adamant on demanding around Rs5 million as an annual lease rent.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Ehsan Mani told ‘The News’ on Thursday at the Pindi Stadium that lease matter had been pending with administration and we need an early settlement in the best interest of cricket promotion in the region.

“We have yet to give the agreed deal a legal cover. Though previous boards had agreed in principle to ink the agreement, there has been no legal cover that could bind the two stakeholders,” Mani said.

He confirmed that over Rs600 million invested on the uplift of the stadium in recent times. “That we did after getting assurance from the federal government that the matter would be resolved amicably. We hope to give deal a legal cover in days to come.”

When ‘The News’ approached Shafqat Naghmi — the former Chief Operating Officer who also had a brief stint with the current board — said he saw no reason not to get a final deal.

“It is a matter of sitting on the table and looking at possibilities. The Pindi administration sticks to its position and that is the lease amount of around Rs5 million per annum. The PCB, however, says that they have already invested too much and let the invested amount be part of that lease amount.”

He hoped that sanity would prevail and both stakeholders would ink the deal. “I have already succeeded in getting 99 years lease deal for the PCB for the National Stadium in Karachi. And I am optimistic Pindi Stadium’s lease agreement would also be finalised in days to come.”

It was during Naseem Ashraf’s era as the chairman of the PCB that board and Pindi administration got agreed on the 33 years lease in principle. However, no real efforts were made by others to give lease document a legal cover.