Islamabad Cricket Stadium Work to Start Within Days
The groundbreaking of the Islamabad cricket stadium is expected within days, after the Capital Development Authority (CDA) and its contractor settled a dispute over the bid rate. The civic agency secured a rebate of Rs400 million, removing the last obstacle before work can start.
CDA Member Environment Abdullah Khurram Niazi confirmed the settlement. “Yes, we got a Rs400 million rebate. This is a big achievement, and now the groundbreaking of the stadium project is a matter of days,” he said. Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi had also said recently that the groundbreaking would take place within days.
The approach road from Margalla Road to the stadium site has already been completed. A CDA official said the groundbreaking near Sector D-12, at the foothills of the Margalla Hills, was expected within the current week.
What the Islamabad cricket stadium will look like
The stadium will have three tiers, stand over 25 metres tall, and hold more than 35,000 spectators. The first phase will cover construction of the stadium itself and around three kilometres of roads.
The second phase will cover landscaping and electrical work, along with ground preparation, including the construction of pitches. That split matters for cricket fans, because a stadium building alone does not make a venue ready for international matches. Pitches need time to settle, and the outfield needs proper preparation before a ball is bowled in anger.
The project carries a PC-I estimate of Rs11.9 billion. The joint venture of Habib-ZKB-EA submitted the lowest bid, at Rs8.9 billion. The rebate of Rs400 million now brings the agreed cost down from that bid figure.
Why the rebate held up the project
A deadlock had developed between the CDA and the construction firm before the settlement. The civic agency had sought a rebate before the groundbreaking. The contractor argued that it had submitted its bid in March, and that the prices of diesel, petrol and other items had risen since then.
That argument left, in the contractor’s view, no case for a cut to the quoted rate. The two sides have now bridged the gap, and the CDA has recorded the rebate as a saving for the public purse.
For a public project of this size, the sequence matters. A rebate agreed before groundbreaking is worth more than one argued over after work has started, when the contractor holds the stronger hand. The CDA’s position was that the rebate had to be settled first, and it held that line until the agreement was reached.
The 2028 target and the site question
Pakistan Cricket Board officials recently told Dawn they hoped the project would be fully completed and operational before the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2028. The board wants to host some World Cup matches at the venue.
That target gives the project a clear deadline, but it also raises the stakes. International venues need more than a finished structure. They need tested pitches, working floodlights, broadcast facilities, and security arrangements that meet ICC standards. The two-phase plan, with pitches in the second phase, will need to run to schedule for the 2028 goal to hold.
The site itself carries a separate question. It falls in Zone III, where construction activity is generally prohibited and local landowners are not allowed to build houses on their land. The CDA maintains that sports and recreational facilities are permissible in the area, and that the cricket stadium qualifies as an allowed construction activity.
That distinction will be watched closely. Residents of the area have long lived under building restrictions, and a large stadium will test how the rules are applied when the builder is a public authority rather than a private landowner.
A stadium project with a history
This is not Islamabad’s first attempt at a cricket stadium. The PCB had previously started building a stadium at Shakarparian after receiving land from the CDA, but that project was abandoned following Supreme Court directions.
This time, the CDA will construct the stadium itself, rather than handing the project to the board. Another site near Malpur in Zone I had also been considered, but the CDA ultimately selected the location near Sector D-12.
When will the Islamabad cricket stadium groundbreaking take place?
The CDA says the groundbreaking near Sector D-12 is expected within the current week, after the Rs400 million rebate dispute was settled and the approach road from Margalla Road was completed.
How many spectators will the Islamabad cricket stadium hold?
More than 35,000 spectators, in a three-tier structure standing over 25 metres tall at the foothills of the Margalla Hills.
