Quetta’s historic stadium being used for political gatherings instead of sports events
Players said that the Supreme Court had earlier banned political activities in the Ayub Sports Complex, but despite this, it is regrettable that the administration is allowing political gatherings again.
Ayub Sports Complex in Quetta is now being for political gatherings instead of sports events which led Balochistan players and sports department officials to protest.
They protested against the organisation of political activities and meetings in the biggest sports stadium of the province. The secretary sports refused to give the Ayub Sports Complex for political processions in future, saying that political activities have badly damaged the sports complex.
Instead of holding sports in Ayub Sports Complex, the biggest sports complex of the province located in Quetta, the provincial capital of Balochistan, the athletes of the province have been strongly protesting against the political meetings.
Players said that the Supreme Court (SC) had earlier banned political activities in the Ayub Sports Complex, but despite this, it is regrettable that the administration is allowing political gatherings again.
Various sports facilities are available in Ayub Sports Complex Quetta including cricket, high school, football, athletics, boxing, karate, volleyball and squash.
Many international sports competitions including hockey, cricket, football and boxing have been organized in this sports complex.
This stadium has also hosted many national games. But for the past few years, instead of sports activities, political rallies are being organised in this sports complex.
In Quetta, most of the meetings of national parties belonging to the government and the opposition are held in Ayub Stadium. In the past, large gatherings of funerals of some personalities, including Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti and Amil Khan Kasi, who was sentenced to death in America, are also held in Ayub Stadium.
Last days in Quetta, the sportspersons strongly protested against the holding of political meetings in the Ayub Sports Complex, especially the football ground, and demanded an immediate ban on activities other than sports in the sports complex.
The players said that there are already few sports fields in the province, while the Ayub Sports Complex where sports facilities are available and crores of rupees were spent here in the recent past, the sports complex was damaged and the beauty was also affected due to political activities.
Officials of the Sports Department informed the Home Department of their concerns over issuing NOCs for meetings in sports complexes without the department’s consent.
The sports department said in the letter that many national and international tournaments of football, hockey and cricket have been organized in the Ayub Sports Complex and the National Games will be organized in May next year, for which the sports complex needs to be repaired.
A huge amount of money has been spent, but on the contrary, two large political rallies were held in a few days for which the administration allowed political rallies without taking NOC from the sports department.
Secretary Sports Balochistan Mohammad Ishaq Bali has written a letter to the Home Department informing about his concerns regarding the holding of political meetings in the Ayub Sports Complex.
He said that the Home Department has been prohibited from giving Ayub Sports Complex for upcoming political meetings because there is fear of damage to the sports complex due to political activities.