Claim: PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi has demolished the Imran Khan enclosure at Gaddafi Stadium and removed Khan’s photographs, shoes, and other possessions from the stadium’s gallery.
Fact: The Imran Khan enclosure at Gaddafi Stadium is being renovated to improve seating facilities. There is no evidence to suggest the former prime minister’s possessions have been removed from the stadium but Soch Fact Check has not independently verified this.
Soch Fact Check received a text message along with a photograph of Interior Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board Mohsin Naqvi on WhatsApp. According to the text: “The demolished enclosure is Imran Khan enclosure. He has already had all his pictures removed from the hall of fame and other galleries in all cricket stadiums. He even burnt his bowling shoes and cricket bat in the display gallery of Gaddafi Stadium.”
The claim has since been circulating across social media platforms including this post on Facebook. It was also shared on X with the same text as the caption.
The claim suggests that the Imran Khan enclosure in particular has been demolished.
Stadium renovations
In March, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chairman Mohsin Naqvi announced renovation plans for the National Bank Stadium in Karachi, Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi.
According to Dawn, the PCB agreed to provide 20 hospitality boxes in the three stadiums. The board has enlisted the services of a UK-based architectural firm, renowned for designing Old Trafford and other stadiums. However, the construction is being carried out by the Frontier Works Organisation (FWO), a Pakistani company, based on designs prepared by the foreign firm, the article added.
In June, the cricket board commenced the demolition of its main secretariat building at the Gaddafi Stadium to meet the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) requirements for hosting next year’s ICC Champions Trophy.
Fact or Fiction?
To investigate the claim, Soch Fact Check reverse-searched the image and found a press release on the PCB’s official website. According to the press release, Naqvi visited Gaddafi Stadium to inspect the ongoing project and task the workers to complete the demolition work by 30 June.
During his visit, he directed officials to increase the number of machinery and labourers on the site. The chairman also emphasised the need to speed up the work and utilise additional resources to ensure the timely completion of the project, the press release added.
To investigate whether the Imran Khan enclosure was the only section demolished, we scoured through the PCB’s official YouTube channel and Instagram account to track the progress of the demolition work. We found this video on Instagram captioned: “PCB Chairman Mohsin Naqvi inspects the ongoing upgradation of Gaddafi Stadium ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. He instructed to increase the number of machinery and workers after the Eid holidays and to complete the upgradation work within the stipulated time.”
While the video is not audible, it features various clips, including the viral photograph of Naqvi at the site of the demolished areas. However, it does not show the Imran Khan enclosure. The picture being shared with the claim actually shows the area where the dressing rooms, patrons’ section, and PCB offices are located, as seen in this map.
On 5 September, Public News posted a video surveying the progress at the stadium. The reporter begins by telling the audience that there have been some changes to the initial renovation plan shared by Pakistan’s cricket board. Eventually (at the 1:21 mark), the camera pans out to show a pile of debris, which the reporter refers to as the main building. This appears to be the same area as in the viral claim.
The reporter then moves on to discuss the renovations at the Fazal Mahmood enclosure. At 3:06, the camera once again pans to show the Imran Khan enclosure, which has not been demolished. According to the video, only the chairs and roof shades of the enclosure have been removed. This is being done to improve the seating capacity, with approximately 2,000 seats being added to both the Imran Khan and Fazal Mahmood enclosures.
Soch Fact Check attempted to verify the current status of Imran Khan’s belongings in the stadium’s gallery. Our team member visited the stadium but was not allowed to enter the gallery. As a result, we could noto verify whether Khan’s items, such as his photographs, shoes, and cricket bat, remain in the gallery. However, the team member captured photos of the stadium’s exterior and ongoing renovations, which we have attached below. These images provide a glimpse of the current state of the stadium, though they do not conclusively show the condition of the gallery or its contents.
The PCB has not released any official statements regarding gallery renovations, nor have any credible news outlets reported on it. Imran Khan remains on the board’s Hall of Fame, according to the website.
Soch Fact Check could not independently verify whether the former PTI Chairman’s possessions were removed from the PCB gallery, as our team member was not allowed inside the stadium to confirm this. However, the absence of any evidence, official statements, or credible reports suggests that they have not been removed and it is clear that the stadium is undergoing renovations.
Virality:
The WhatsApp message we received was marked “Forwarded many times”, indicating that the message has gone viral across Pakistan.
The claim was also shared on Facebook here, here, here, here, and here.
On X it was shared here, here, here, and here. Archived here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: The claim that the Imran Khan enclosure at Gaddafi Stadium has been demolished and his belongings removed from the gallery is false. The ongoing renovations are part of broader upgrades to improve seating capacity and meet international standards for the ICC Champions Trophy.
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Background image in cover photo: Geo News
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