ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has issued notices to the stakeholders of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), local administration and police on a petition filed against blockades of roads as part of security of the players and government offices.

IHC Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz issued the notices to the respondents cited in the petition including secretaries Interior, Law, Cabinet Division, Inter Provincial Coordination, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, Chief Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner, Inspector General Islamabad, Capital Development Authority (CDA), Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Leonine Global Sports, Owner of Islamabad United, Salman Iqbal, Owner of Karachi King, Fawad Rana, Owner of Lahore Qalandars, Ali Tareen, Owner of Multan Sultan, Javed Afridi, Owner of Peshawar Zalmi, Nadeem Omar, Owner of Quetta Gladiators, Auditor General and Serena Hotel.

The petitioner stated before the court that public at large suffered due to the blockade of roads leading towards Constitution Avenue surrounding the Serena Hotel which are the main access for the lawyers and litigants of Constitutional Courts.

Moreover, the blockade caused inconvenience to the visitors of Public Secretariat.

It said that the PSL is a profit making venture with a leading businessmen are its major stakeholders, and this game is yet to be recognised in Olympics.

Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) launched the PSL in 2015 on the model of Indian Premier League (IPL) and the Big Bash League (BBL) in Australia and became popular in very short span of time.

The petitioner stated the commercial rights to the initial franchises were sold for US$ 93mn for a span of 10 years in December 2015. The market value of PSL in 2017 was up to US$ 300mn and increasing day by day. Its profit in the year 2016 was US$ 2.6mn and in 2022 edition 71pc increase in the PSL profit; each franchise received Rs.900mn (US$ 3.1 mn). The 2023 edition recorded revenue of over Rs5Billion. According to PCB press release around 20 parties showed interest in buying franchises for the league before the first season in the year 2015. One of the franchise was dropped due to issues of payments and respondent no.14 was added in the year 2017.

The respective governments have made security arrangements for the players in such a manner that civil and fundamental rights are being continuously abused merely on the basis of apprehensions as the main entrances to the Constitution Avenue surrounding the Serena Hotel are blocked for the simple reason that players of PSL matches have stayed in the hotel.

He requested the court to issue direction to the authorities for re-opening of the closed roads leading to the Constitutional Avenue.

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2024