Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Name Changed To Imran Khan Cricket Stadium By KP Government

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Government has decided to rename the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium Peshawar in KPK to “Imran Khan Cricket Stadium Peshawar Shahi Bagh” to honor Pakistan’s former Prime Minister, Imran Khan for his cricketing services. The Chief Minister of KPK Ali Amin Gandapur signed the summary sent by the Sports Minister yesterday and forwarded it to the KPK cabinet for approval.

Sports Minister of KPK Syed Fakhar Jahan informed media that the Chief Minister had expressed a desire to rename the stadium. Following this, a summary was prepared and sent to the cabinet for approval.

He further clarified that this decision has no political motives and is just intended to honor Imran Khan for his contributions as one of Pakistan’s most famous cricketers and for his exceptional services to the country’s cricket. He added that the federal government should have recognized this earlier and renamed the Gaddafi Stadium after Imran Khan, but they ignored it due to political reasons.

It is worth noting that in September 2024, the KPK government approved a budget of 2.31 billion PKR for the redevelopment of this stadium. The stadium is currently in the final stages of construction and is expected to be inaugurated soon.