LAHORE: The Punjab cabinet has declined a proposal to rename Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium, with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz expressing reservations about the proposal brought before the cabinet as an ex-agenda item.

The Punjab finance department had moved a note to the principal secretary to the chief minister titled “Finalisation of a new name for Gaddafi Stadium under Stadium Naming Rights Agreement”.

The proposal was generated after acquisition by the Bank of Punjab (BoP) exclusive naming rights for the stadium under the terms of the Stadium Nomenclature Rights Agreement signed with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

It had been accorded assent by the BoP directors after entering into an agreement with the PCB.

As part of this agreement, the BoP has the right to rename the stadium, subject to the PCB’s approval, ensuring compliance with all relevant laws, cultural norms, and policies.

Accordingly, the finance department’s note says, the BoP had sought recommendations from marketing and different advertising agencies to rename the stadium. After careful consideration of the recommendations, the BoP management shortlisted three potential names for the stadium — ‘BoP Cricket Arena’, ‘The Bank of Punjab Stadium’ and ‘BoP Gaddafi Stadium’.

The options given by the bank directors also included ‘BOP Lahore Cricket Arena’ and ‘BoP Cricket Stadium Lahore’.

Seeking instructions from the chief minister, the finance department had also written a note requesting the Punjab government to review the recommendations and provide its feedback to finalise one of the suggested names.

Dawn tried to contact Punjab Finance Secretary Mujahid Sherdil for his comments, but he was not available.

Meanwhile, a senior officer privy to the development said the BoP had started this process in May last year. He said the bank had also given a bid, after approval from its BoD, to rename the National Stadium Karachi.

However, the bid was won by the National Bank of Pakistan and the stadium was renamed as National Bank Cricket Arena.

Though the bank traditionally gives such bids, the officer asserted the chief minister did not like the proposal.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2025