APP
ABBOTTABAD
A requisition signed by more than four thousands signatories was handed over to the Tehsil Nazim Abbottabad Ishaque Zakariya by the residents of Kunj and Kehal demanded for the immediately stopping of the construction of shops in the Kunj Football Ground.
The signatories also demanded to handover the owner ship of the ground to local people instead of leasing out by changing the historical ground into a shopping Mall.
A delegation of the Shaoor Foundation comprises of lawyers and notables of the area has also approached to the Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad Amir Afaq and had requested to stop the modification of the only Football Ground Abbottabad where Tehsil Council has planned to construct shops in the ground in front of Girls College side for which tender has been allotted and steps were removed but due to resistance and protest by the peoples of the area, the demolition of the wall and construction of the shops are being stopped.
The plea taken by the Younis Abbasi, Ex-Nazim of Union Council Kehal and renowned footballer leading all this move while talking to media told that the decision of the Tehsil Council to make shops on the left side of the football ground will not only reduce the size of the ground as shops will be constructed on the seating area of the spectator and will badly affect the greenery of the area.
After the construction of the shops at one hand the ground would affected and on the other it will also create traffic problem on the Kunj road on which beside the Girls college, two girls schools students use the road for movement to their schools and a large portion of Kunj and Kehal peoples use as main road and after construction shops, road will become further narrow for road passers.
Keeping the sensitivity of the issue, matter was also bought in the knowledge of Speaker KP Assembly Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani who is currently performing Umra and local MNA Ali Khan Jadoon with Commissioner Hazara who all had promised to restore back its original position with re-construction of step for the spectators which have been removed by the TMA.
It was further demanded that Kunj Football Ground which was handed over to FIFA for its goal project but fails to operate as per MoU where FIFA/PFF was bound to hold yearly two to three football tournaments, the holding of National and Local camps for the football players for which International and National Coaches to be provided to run the activities.
It may be noted that FIFA after 2005 earthquake under the specials program provided funds of more than 50 millions for the project has constructed block in the ground which could not be made operational and it was demanded that lease with TMA to be cancelled and to be handed over to sports committee or provincial sports department and to be opened for the players.
