Claim: Imran Khan enclosures at Multan and Lahore cricket stadiums have been removed.
Fact: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed that the enclosure was live for Multan games and there are still tickets left for the Lahore leg of the tournament.
Fact or Fiction?
On 15 August 2023, X (formerly Twitter) user M.Rehan Rabbani (@RehanRabbani333) claimed that the Imran Khan enclosures have been removed from both Multan Cricket Stadium and Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore for the Asia Cup cricket tournament.
The Imran Khan enclosures are a seating area found in several stadiums in Pakistan and were named after 1992 cricket world cup champion Khan.
The Asia Cup 2023 is being co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka with the first four group stage matches played in Pakistan. It began with a clash between Pakistan and Nepal on 30 August 2023.
The claims made the rounds on social media after the PCB posted on X on 14 August that tickets for “First Class and General enclosures for matches in Multan and Lahore are on sale now”.
The graphic in the post had Imran Khan enclosure’s name struck off.
🚨 Tickets for First Class and General enclosures for matches in Multan and Lahore are on sale now!
🎟️ Get your tickets at https://t.co/HARU9vsaGB#AsiaCup2023 pic.twitter.com/ziItiJ6oDi
— Pakistan Cricket (@TheRealPCB) August 14, 2023
Umar Farooq Kalson, head of the media department of PCB, confirmed to Soch Fact Check that the Imran Khan enclosures have not been removed.
“It’s absolutely not true. Imran Khan enclosure was live for Multan games and there are still tickets left for Lahore leg,” he said.
Soch Fact Check also checked the official website where tickets are being sold and found that the Imran Khan enclosure’s tickets are available for the upcoming Asia Cup match between Nepal and Afghanistan on 3 September at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and for the other matches being played in Pakistan as well. The tickets retail between Rs 2000 to 6000.
Virality:
On X, the claim was also found here, here, here, here, here, and here.
Conclusion: Contrary to claims, the Imran Khan enclosures at Multan and Lahore stadiums have not been removed as confirmed by the PCB. The tickets for the enclosure are still being sold online.
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