KARACHI: Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said on Tuesday that the Pakistan Cricket Board was not ready to give a single PSL match to Karachi in 2017 and “now the whole event is being held in Pakistan which is a great success of the people of Pakistan who defeated terrorism”.

He said this while speaking to reporters after visiting the National Stadium to review arrangements for the PSL-5 matches starting on Feb 20.

CM Shah was accompanied by Local Government Minister Nasir Shah, his Adviser on law Murtaza Wahab and special assistant on sports Bangul Khan Mahar.

Mr Shah said law and order had been normalised in the city and now Karachi was a peaceful city where all activities, including sports, literature, music and education, were thriving.

“United, we all will make Karachi a seat of learning and cradle of peace,” he said.

He recalled that in 2017 he had requested the PCB to give at least one match to the city but they had regretted and “now the situation has improved to the level that eight matches would be played in the city. This is the success of our people”.

Regrets being unable to host a PSL match at Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad

Answering a question, the chief minister said in 2018 the condition of the National Stadium was poor, thus, his government renovated and repaired the stadium and made it a beautiful place for cricket matches.

“The National Stadium is one of the biggest stadiums in the world, but its capacity is now falling shorter than the public requirement, therefore we will consult the PCB to enhance its seating capacity,” he said.

The chief minister regretted that he could not hold a PSL match at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad as he had promised last year.

“Actually, the Niaz Stadium needs major overhaul and renovation,” he said, adding that due to financial constraints “we could not undertake the repair work”. He said he would soon revive the Niaz Stadium to ensure cricket returned to Sindh’s second largest city.

Mr Shah said he was making efforts to revive hockey as well.

“Today, I met chairman of the Pakistan Hockey Federation retired brigadier Mohammad Khalid Khokhar, and discussed with him organising a hockey league in October or November.”

He said he had committed to hold the hockey league here and his government would cooperate with the hockey federation to make it happen.

In reply to a question, Mr Shah congratulated the nation on winning the Kabaddi World Cup.

He praised the kabaddi players and said that they must be given due recognition for such a feat.

Reporter’s murder

Replying to a question about the murder of journalist Aziz Memon at Mehrabpur, the chief minister said certain political opponents of the Pakistan Peoples Party were levelling “baseless and shameful” allegations against the ruling party.

He added that as a matter of fact the PPP was equally grieved on the incident.

“The PPP believes in freedom of expression and we always respect criticism and fight for the rights and respect of journalists.”

He said he had ordered an impartial inquiry into the brutal murder of the late Aziz Memon.

“His killers would soon be arrested and punished,” he said.

The chief minister condemned Mr Memon’s murder and expressed his condolence with the aggrieved family and with the team of the Sindhi news channel concerned.

Earlier, Murad Ali Shah visited the National Stadium, reviewed security arrangements and visited its command and control centre.

The chief minister was briefed on the security arrangements by Rangers Director General Major General Omar Bukhari. He thanked the Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, police and divisional and district administration for the satisfactory arrangements.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2020