Two joint ventures have qualified for the financial bidding stage for the construction of Islamabad’s first full-scale cricket stadium.
Sources said the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has approved the technical bids submitted by two groups and will now move ahead with the next phase of the tendering process. The project is being planned in collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The proposed stadium will be built on around 50 acres in the planned Olympic Village near D-12 at the foothills of the Margalla Hills. The larger Olympic Village project is expected to cover around 175 acres.
The stadium project carries an estimated cost of Rs11.4 billion and is being pursued under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model. Under this arrangement, the shortlisted bidders submitted not only technical proposals but also their own design concepts for the facility.
According to sources, the designs submitted by the two qualified joint ventures will now be reviewed by a CDA experts committee, which may also seek input from the PCB.
Once one design is selected, possibly with changes, it will be shared with both bidders for submission of financial proposals. The contract is then expected to go to the lowest bidder.
Officials expect strong competition between the two groups, as both are said to have prior experience in major cricket infrastructure projects. One group has previously been linked to work on the Peshawar Cricket Stadium, while the other has experience related to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
On the consultancy side, bids have already been received from two firms for project supervision. However, instead of hiring a private consultant, CDA is considering bringing in a government-owned consultant for the job. A final decision on that front is expected soon.
The stadium site falls in Zone III, where sports and recreational activity is allowed. However, CDA will still need federal government approval for related development such as hotels and commercial areas planned around the project.
The project has also drawn attention from environmental authorities. Earlier this year, the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board asked CDA to share the exact layout plan and location details of the proposed stadium site, seeking clarity on whether any part of the project falls within or near the protected boundaries of the Margalla Hills National Park.
The board also raised questions about the 100-metre buffer zone around protected areas, warning that any development there would need to be designed in a way that minimizes disturbance to wildlife.
Despite those concerns, the project has now entered a key phase, with the financial bidding round set to determine who gets to build what could become Islamabad’s first major cricket venue.
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