The Capital Development Authority (CDA) is set to hold a bid evaluation meeting today for the proposed construction of Islamabad’s first cricket stadium.
Last month, the CDA received technical bids from two joint ventures for the mega project, which is estimated to cost Rs. 12 billion under the approved PC-I.
The stadium is planned near Sector D-12 at the foothills of the Margalla Hills. According to the tender process, only two joint ventures submitted bids for the project: Habib Construction, ZKB-EA and a second joint venture comprising Lemar Builders and BK Consultants Pvt Ltd.
A CDA official said the authority would begin the first meeting of its bid evaluation committee on Monday and move to the financial bid stage after the technical review is completed.
The project is being processed under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) model. Under this arrangement, the participating joint ventures submitted their proposed designs along with technical bids and will later be asked to submit financial proposals.
Separately, CDA has also received consultant bids from two firms, including a Pakistani company working in joint venture with a Turkish firm, as well as NESPAK. Officials said a final decision on the consultant bids will also be made after technical evaluation.
The proposed stadium site falls in Zone III, where sports and recreational activities are allowed, but commercial activity is prohibited. This means the CDA may need approval from the federal government for related components such as commercial areas and hotel development linked to the project.
The project has also drawn attention from the Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, which earlier this year asked the CDA to share the exact layout plan of the stadium site.
In a letter issued in January, the board sought clarification on whether the proposed site falls within or overlaps the notified boundaries of the Margalla Hills National Park or the 100-meter protected buffer zone under the Islamabad Nature Conservation and Wildlife Management Act, 2024.
Under the law, no development can take place within the buffer zone unless a no-objection certificate is obtained from the board before work begins.
The CDA, in collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board, plans to build the stadium on around 50 acres within a proposed 175-acre Olympic Village in the same area. However, it remains unclear whether the CDA will only provide land for the project or also contribute to the construction cost.
A similar attempt in the past to build a stadium at Shakarparian was later scrapped on the direction of the Supreme Court, despite initial construction being started by the PCB on CDA-allotted land.
According to recent CDA discussions, the proposed venue will offer an open view of the Margalla Hills, a seating capacity of around 32,000, and parking space for 10,000 vehicles at a location roughly one kilometer away from the stadium for the general public.
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