January 3, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 2, 1426

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HYDERABAD, Jan 2: District Government, Hyderabad (DGH) has agreed to hand over Niaz Stadium to Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) under certain terms and conditions ensuring district’s participation in the stadium in future.

Nazim Hyderabad Kanwar Naveed Jamil told a news conference at the stadium on Monday he would soon invite chairman PCB Shaharyar M Khan to visit the stadium and discuss the matter with him.

He said he had banned holding marriage functions at the stadium and stopped its use as helipad for VVIP’s by shifting the helipad to Public School.

A local hotel owner had showed willingness to convert his hotel into a five star one, which was a prerequisite for hosting international cricket matches in the city.

Besides, he said, he had written to private airlines asking them to visit Hyderabad airport and consider resuming flights to the city, after lengthening its runway from 7,000 feet to 9,000 feet. The DGH would also undertake development work in the stadium, he added.

The DCO was examining the agreements the board had signed with local administrations in Faisalabad, Multan and Quetta before taking over their grounds, as “I would like to ensure participation of the city in the stadium when it is finally handed over to the board”.

He said he would look into the charges the in-charge of the stadium was using the premises for commercial gains while disallowing players to enter premises for playing matches.