LAHORE: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday approved spectator attendance for the playoff stage of the HBL Pakistan Super League, extending earlier permission granted for the final to cover all remaining matches.

The decision was taken after a meeting between the prime minister and Mohsin Naqvi, who later announced that approval had been secured for public attendance at the Qualifier and both Eliminators as well.

“However, this comes with an important condition… that fans are strongly encouraged to use public transport or minimise fuel consumption while attending the matches, in line with the ongoing national austerity efforts,” Naqvi said in a post on X, adding that the prime minister also conveyed his best wishes to the teams competing in the playoffs.

Spectators had initially been barred from attending matches under the government’s fuel conservation measures introduced in view of the ongoing West Asia crisis, which disrupted oil supplies from the Middle East. As a result, the entire league stage of this season was played behind closed doors.

The tournament, originally scheduled to be staged across multiple cities, was also restricted to venues in Lahore and Karachi due to the prevailing situation.

Earlier, the prime minister had allowed spectators only for the May 3 final at the Gaddafi Stadium. Monday’s decision, however, extends that permission to the entire playoff phase.

The Qualifier between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi will be the first fixture to be played before spectators under the revised policy. The match is scheduled for Tuesday at the National Bank Stadium, with the toss at 6:30pm and the first ball at 7:00pm.

Eliminator 1 will follow on Wednesday in Lahore between Multan Sultans and Hyderabad Kingsmen. Eliminator 2 — featuring the loser of the Qualifier and the winner of Eliminator 1 — will also be played at the same venue on Friday, before the final brings the tournament to a close on May 3.

The announcement came just over 24 hours before the Qualifier, leaving limited time for arrangements related to ticketing and crowd management.

The move is expected to bring spectators back to the stands for the decisive phase of the competition, which had so far been conducted without crowds due to the austerity measures.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2026