Lahore:
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Friday that the players of the national cricket team were heroes and that the nation expected them to win the next champions trophy.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony of the peak renovation of the Gaddafi stadium, he expressed his joy at the completion of the renewal of the stadium within 117 days.
He appreciated the president of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Minister of the Interior Syed Mohin Naqvi to supervise the construction of the stadium. He congratulated all the members of the PCB and ordered the president to reward all the people involved in this important achievement.
The Prime Minister noted that after “Shehbaz Speed”, it was now time for “Mohin Speed”. He also praised the organization Frontier Works (FWO) for his role in upgrading the stadium.
Shehbaz Sharif welcomed the national cricket team for their recent performances and expressed his hope that they would become champions of the next Champions Trophy. He also expressed his confidence that Pakistan would beat India in the tournament, winning the heart of 240 million Pakistanis.
He stressed the importance of teamwork, not only in sport but also in governance. He said that the country’s financial stability was the result of the collective efforts of his office. By reflecting in the last eight months, he compared the economic crisis to the rapid rhythm of the Australian launcher Dennis Lillee deliveries. However, he stressed that his team of ministers remained firm, helping Pakistan to emerge financial difficulties.
The Prime Minister congratulated the Nation for organizing a major international sporting event in Pakistan after 29 years. He also thanked the Minister -Chief of Punjab, Maryam Nawaz Sharif, for providing facilities to the construction team through the Punjab government.
The Prime Minister assured that the government would provide leading security arrangements for matches, allowing cricket fans to take advantage of world class cricket.
He welcomed the US Consul General Kristin Hawkins at the ceremony and expressed his optimism that the American Cricket team would soon go to Pakistan for international matches.
Earlier, the Prime Minister officially inaugurated the renovated stadium. The president of the PCB, Mohin Naqvi, and the president of the National Assembly Sardar Ayaz Sadiq also discussed the rally.
The event was followed by the Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the federal ministers Attaullah Tarar, Ahsan Iqbal, Azam Nazir Tarar, Rana Tanveer, and Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, the president of the Punjab assembly, Malik Muhammad Ahmad, the ministers Provincials, purple journalists and dignitaries of various fields.
