For a cricket stadium, PCB provided 25 acres near Isamabad’s D-12

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has accepted the Capital Development Authority’s (CDA) offer of 25 acres for the development of a cricket stadium in Islamabad.

“I recently spoke with senior PCB officials and let them know that CDA has designated 25 acres for the project. It will be discussed at a meeting between CDA and PCB next week, CDA Chairman Noorul Amin Mengal told Dawn on Sunday. He claimed that the 150 acres owned by the CDA and used for sports promotion are located close to D-12 and Shah Allah Ditta.

“Out of the total, 25 acres will be given to the PCB for the cricket stadium, and we will develop other sports facilities on the remaining land,” he said, adding that the cricket stadium in the Margallas foothills will enhance Islamabad’s beauty. Additionally, there will be international cricket matches held there.

The Supreme Court abandoned the Shakarparian stadium construction project in 2018

The CDA chairman responded that the area is outside of Zone III and that the civic agency could use it for sports facilities similar to those already built nearby Aabpara when asked about potential criticism from environmental activists because the area is in Zone III.

Sports and recreation facilities are not prohibited in Zone III, and we even have hiking trails in Margalla Hills. But I’ll look into it again,” he added.

It’s important to remember that the PCB and CDA had begun building a stadium in Shakarparian, but that project was abandoned in 2018 by the Supreme Court since Zone III is a national park.

The CDA has made the decision to file a review petition in opposition to the Supreme Court’s verdict authorising the construction of the stadium. However, the civic organisation has now chosen to propose new stadium locations to the PCB.

The master plan for Islamabad was created in 1960 by the Greek company Doxiadis Associates, who designated 2,250 acres as a sports complex.