The fate of the historic Atiq Stadium hangs in a balance as a land mafia is making a deliberate effort to convert it into a parking lot, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Atiq Stadium is situated in front of the Gurdwara Dera Sahib in the vicinity of Badshahi Mosque. It is surrounded by historic sites including Ranjit Singh’s tomb.
An official of the City District Government Lahore, asking not to be named, revealed a mysterious story to Pakistan Today. He said that the ground staff members had informed the ground authorities on the December 29 that some unidentified people, accompanied by armed guards, tried to construct something in the Atiq Stadium, adding that they even brought cement packages and bricks. “The men claimed that they had come from the Fort Road Food Street and that they wanted to construct a parking lot,” said the CDGL official.
He said they did not have any letter or notification from the any authority after which the ground staff asked them to leave. “Some heat had developed there after which the unidentified men had called a man who turned out to be the chairman of the Fort Road Food Street, Habib Khan”.
After having talks with the ground keepers the men were called back. “Yes, the ground admin has wrote a letter to the DCO in this regard but nothing has been done till now,” said the CDGL official.
As Pakistan Today contacted the Chairman of Fort Road Food Street Habib Khan, he raised a different view point. “That ground was already being used as a parking lot by the Punjab Sports Board, so I didn’t know whether it was a playing ground or a parking lot,” said Habib.
“I was of the view that the parking lot cum ground could be used as an extra parking area of the for the Fort Road Food Street for people coming from the other side,” he added. He said it was a misunderstanding as he used to see cars parked in the ground everyday.
“If it is a stadium then why
are cars parked in its vicinity?”
he asked.
Atiq Stadium’s future is at stake since the government machinery too has disowned it and has left it at the mercy of ground mafia. The Public Facilities DO said the ground did not come under his department, hence proving that they are not the one collecting money from cars being parked there. The deputy director of Archaeology Department too denied the responsibility of collecting revenue from the cars being parked in that area.
“We have a separate parking
lot opposite of Atiq Stadium why would we need another area,”
he said.
The Atiq Stadium which was originally made for cricket activities is a small area without any concrete walls or entrance adjacent to the Circular Road opposite to the Minar-e-Pakistan. Though ground still has a cricket pitch the area is used by other sports activities due to its limited size. The ground has been used for Pehalwani competitions, boxing, volleyball and other sports which require little space. The ground, which is in a bad condition, will also be used in the Chief Minister Sports Competition which is expected to start from the January 16.
