December 06, 2006	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 14, 1427

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FAISALABAD, Dec 5: With first-ever day and night fixture at the Iqbal Stadium scheduled for Thursday in shape of the second One-day International between Pakistan and the West Indies, the district government's arrangements are certainly not matching the occasion.

So far it has failed in replacing the two enclosures belonging to the police department and the DCO, a tradition only in vogue at the Iqbal Stadium.

The stadium has a number of enclosures named after cricketing greats but it is astonishing for sports lovers that the stadium has two enclosures exclusively attributed to the district police and the DCO.

Former DCO Athar Sial had established the DCO enclosure when police reportedly occupied an enclosure on the pretext of making it a control room of sorts. These two enclosures were set up by separating the VIP enclosures and the families of district and government officers enjoy special seating arrangements there.

None of the office-bearers of now defunct cricket association here ever tried to resists this illegal activity since they wished to remain in the good books of the government officials. Whenever, somebody objected to this practice, the association officials rushed to hush up the matter.

With the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) dissolving the cricket associations two years ago, an ad hoc committee is now working under the chairmanship of the DCO ho is also the patron of Iqbal Stadium.

The stadium has capacity to house nearly 22,000 spectators and the PCB is continuously stressing the district administration for its expansion, offering to bear the expenses as well.

But keeping in view the limited capacity, the presence of two ‘exclusive’ enclosures for government departments is nothing but rude show of power. During the last Test match played at the Iqbal Stadium, a number of foreign journalists also expressed their surprise over the establishment of such enclosures and said not a single stadium in the world had such tradition.

A district police officer, requesting anonymity, said the stadium’s matters were being handled by the district administration instead of the PCB and the latter were free to do what they wanted. "Who would dare to challenge these district government officials?" he asked.