Renaming Qadhafi Stadium
THE Punjab chief minister has given the go-ahead for naming Lahore’s city roads, intersections and interchanges after renowned personalities.
The decision will now be carried out by the city administration whose recommendations were approved by the chief minister. One of them is naming the road around Qadhafi Stadium after former Pakistan cricket captain and cricket board chief the late Abdul Hafeez Kardar.
This, no doubt, will be appreciated by the cricket enthusiasts given Kardar’s laudable services to the game. However, one feels that the time has now come to change the name of the stadium itself.
The stadium was named after the late Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi in 1974 on the occasion of Islamic summit held in Lahore by Z.A. Bhutto’s government in appreciation of his public address at the venue and his friendly ties with Pakistan. Qadhafi has now gone into history, detested and killed by his own people. Democracy is now functioning in the oil-rich North African country. The decision to name the stadium after the Libyan dictator was purely political and had absolutely nothing to do with cricket.
With the Pakistan Super League proposed to be held in March in Lahore, the occasion should be marked by renaming the stadium after the historical city which has produced a number of outstanding cricketers over the years.
FAWAD HASHMEY
Lahore
I cannot believe that with all the enormous problems, including the survival of Pakistan itself, the politicians find it important to rename monuments and streets. God help Pakistan and Pakistanis.
What has renaming every other public or semi public institution or company in Pakistan over so called “Shaheed” Benazir or “Shaheed” Bhutto got to do with the majority of Pakistanis who dont give a damn about them….ince when does the government have the authority to name public places or cities or every tom dick and harry this in the country built by public resources and money under that wierd name!
It was named after Col. Qaddafi because he had built it, not Pakistan. He was a Dictator but no Dictator in world has ever provided so much to its people and no Welfare State can afford to spend on its people, what he was spending. What has USA gained by helping Anarchists overthrow him besides getting its own Ambassador killed?
What have Libyans gained by overthrowing him?
Anarchy rules Libya now.
I suggest the Stadium be re-named to “Atal Bihari Vajpayee” to recognize the great services of the ex-Indian Prime Minister who made a trip to Lahore by Bus to establish friendly relations with Pakistan. Pakistan must recognize this great Indian leader by naming a prominent place may it be a stadium or Airport or a University. Future generations will realize that Vajapee Ji came to Pakistan by road despite an old age and physical weakness. And also will be a gesture of goodwill towards neighboring country.
Muslims need to pick better heros than Ghaddafi, Shah Faisals. Despots dont make good characters to be proud of.
One day perhaps people of the sub continent will consider renaming a several places named after M A Jinnah and Nehru and other pre and post independance politicians including removing their photographs from many public places and offices. With passage of time although most politicians or powerful personalities are not declared persona non grata like Saddam, Qadhafi, Stalin and the like for their cruelty and dictatorial behaviour they do lose their original misplaced mass glitz and reverence accorded them. They are found to be essentially weak and self serving humans like the rest of us but on a larger scale.
Always wondered that people who love justice for Muslims around the world had to name the stadium after a dictator? Why?
Because he had spent his money to get it built. What’s so hard to understand that?
I am tempted to say that we should let it remain as a monument to the generation of post-colonial dictators like Gaddafi who ended up being exposed after decades of misrule for the self-centered, narrow-minded individuals that they were. But you are right. It should be changed to something that is less absurd than the name of a dictator whose own people finally had to shed blood to get rid of him. Lets us name it simply the “Panjab Stadium”, perhaps.
Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi proved to be untrustworthy and a traitor. Lahore cricket stadium must be renamed after Abdul Hafeez Kardar. The road around Qadhafi Stadium be renamed after Kafeel Bhai,Ghotki Walay, who besides being a classic painter had lot of interest in cricket.
Please rename the cricket stadium in Lahore after some cricket great of Pakistan-posthumous, that is!Muammar Gaddafi ,Sadam Hussein,Ben Ali were despots,dictators and mass murderers!
Pakistan super league is dead. i personally do not like dictators, however in this case Pakistanis should never forget the support Qaddafi gave to Pakistan in 1971, when almost whole world was against Pakistan.
Hum hein chartay huway suraj kay pujari. Indeed we have become the nation who worships the rising sun……it should Bus mush stadium
Why was qaddafi stadium named after qaddafi in the first place.. Even in 1974 qaddafi was a ruthless dictator and so was in 2012.. I think PCB should behave responsibly while naming.. There are other true great muslim leaders like Ayotollah Komenei whose names can be used
It should be names Lahore Cricket Ground (LCG). Wake up Shahbaz Shareef do it.