Islamabad needs a new Stadium near the scenic mountains

[Asian.Century]

For Federal Govt, make budget for an amazing world standard stadium built in the mountains of Islamabad with first class facilities to show case Pakistan capital and the beautiful mountains.

 

[-blitzkrieg-]

Islamabad which has no International modern cricket or football stadium- the capital boosts a beautiful mountainous margalla range at the back. To give a new look to cricket and football PCB/CSA/Govt should build state of the art most modern new stadium nearest to the scenic mountains ranges. Even PCB needs a new head office in Islamabad other than Lahore.

Islamabad United has no ground/stadium to call home

ISLAMABAD:
Sunday brought a second winner’s trophy for Islamabad United — by far the most prolific team in Pakistan Super League. Ironically, the team has no real presence in the city apart from on some billboards.

Worryingly the team cannot really even play in front of its home fans even if it wanted to since the city lacks a professional cricket stadium, and has unsurprisingly listed the Rawalpindi cricket stadium as its home ground in official paraphernalia.

Even youngsters in the city, playing amateur cricket, often find it hard to find a place to play in the city owing to encroachment or illegal occupation of the grounds by some private cricketing clubs or the outright absence of these grounds.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA), the main body responsible for creating sporting grounds in the city, has developed some hockey, football, and cricket ground along with some multipurpose sports grounds in different sectors of the federal capital.

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“The main idea behind the development of sports grounds in Islamabad was to provide healthy sports facilities to the youth of the city,” an official of Islamabad Metropolitan Corporation’s (IMC) Sports and Culture Directorate told The Express Tribune on the condition of anonymity. “But such services are not available for everyone in federal capital as many grounds are still under the illegal occupation of some individuals under the garb of private clubs.”

There are eight cricket grounds which were occupied by private clubs who rent them out for a fee. These are located in Sector F-7/1, Sector F-11/1, Sector G-11/1, Sector G-7 Markaz, Sector F-7/3, Margalla Road, Sector G-8/2, and the Saidpur cricket ground.

Last year, the IMC had launched an operation against such individuals and managed to retrieve five grounds from their illegal possession which the clubs used to rent out.

IMC Mayor Sheikh Anser Aziz had vowed to retrieve all such grounds and had launched an action against illegal occupants but he had to succumb to the pressure of influential occupants and operation was halted.

Sources in the IMC said that when they sealed the Shalimar Ground, a close relative of the former prime minister had allegedly influenced the mayor to yield control of the ground back to the private club from whom it had been wrested from.

Similarly, when IMC tried to retrieve the ground located in Sector G-8/2, an office bearer of the Islamabad Cricket Association (ICA) managed to obtain a stay order from a court. Ultimately, the IMC had to abandon its operation.

IMC Sport and Culture Assistant Director Shahzad Ahmed, while speaking to The Express Tribune, categorically stated that it was illegal to rent out public grounds and that whenever they received complaints about it, they took indiscriminate action against unscrupulous elements.

“We have received complains that some elements are secretly charging fees for allowing the use of grounds from residents under the pretext of club fees in a clandestine manner,” Ahmed said, adding that according to a new policy, clubs had been allowed to use the grounds on specific days.

He added that the situation had significantly improved since they undertook an operation last year in which the IMC had sealed several grounds which had been illegally occupied by certain individuals.

Stadium

Despite all the grounds in the capital, none of them can boast international standards, and thus be eligible to host a PSL match featuring Islamabad United.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) had planned to build a stadium per international standards in the Shakarparian area of the city.

The CDA and the PCB had also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2012 in this regard. The civic authority had subsequently allotted 35 acres near Shakarparian for the construction of the stadium.

It was a lucrative deal for the CDA who stood to take home 30 per cent of the proceeds from any international match played apart from a share in the sponsorships. The remaining 70 per cent would go to the PCB.

The stadium was supposed to cost around Rs2 billion, and the entire project was supposed to have been completed within a year.

However, the National Council for Conservation of Wildlife (NCCW), the Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (Pak-EPA), environmentalists, parliamentarians, and former International Cricket Council (ICC) President Ehsan Mani had dismissed the viability of the facility — primarily because international cricket was yet to return to the country at the time and the PSL was not even on the horizon.

Environmentalists were of the view that permission for building a stadium in Shakarparian would be a sheer violation of the Islamabad Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Ordinance 1979, as well as a violation of the city’s master plan.

Former cricket team manager Saleem Asghar Mian and Mani had argued that the stadium would be bad for the city’s green image and would likely turn into a white elephant. They suggested that the money would be better spent upgrading the Rawalpindi stadium which is located just five kilometres from the proposed site.

Since then, the projects was shelved by the PCB.

https://tribune.com.pk/story/1669302/1-islamabad-united-no-ground-call-home/

There is already a stadium in F9 park

besides we need new football stadiums not cricket.
FIFA has banned us even from participating on qualifiers and Pakistanis are arguing why PCB hasnt updated site to show Babar Azam as #1 on list.

 

[Jungibaaz]

Please do not build any stadiums near areas of natural beauty, you will ruin them. Stadiums can be built elsewhere.

 

[N.Siddiqui]

areas of natural beauty,

Agreed!!
This is a beautiful cricket ground at the foothills of Margalla, it has no ugly cement seating structure for spectators, one reason it looks closer to nature.

Also the problem with big stadiums is that they need a huge area for car parking, that means three/four times the size of actual stadium to be paved with asphalt and concrete, with all greenery and trees removed.

And with other utilities required it will look all grey and bland with a large part of tree cover gone.

Already a large part of green wooded area is cut and converted into the parade ground in Islamabad, at Islamabad expressway, hardly used once a year.

 

[Asian.Century]

Please do not build any stadiums near areas of natural beauty, you will ruin them. Stadiums can be built elsewhere.

Bro on a side a stadium in the scenic margalla mountains will always show case Pakistan's and Islamabad's immense natural beauty on TV or internet for ever and years to come.

There is already a stadium in F9 park

besides we need new football stadiums not cricket.
FIFA has banned us even from participating on qualifiers and Pakistanis are arguing why PCB hasnt updated site to show Babar Azam as #1 on list.

which stadium in F9 park? never heard of it.

 

[Bouncer]

Either make access to Pindi stadium better with improved access from 9th Avenue onwards to Stadium Road and build some parking plazas there OR make a new airport somewhere along Kashmir highway (plenty of space there that is encroached upon and no trees to cut).

Shakarparian is also not a bad place. Build it next to the parade ground and you have a ready made parking.

 

[Asian.Century]

Pakistan’s biggest cricket stadium will be built in Islamabad: PM Khan

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan directed Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)’s chairman Ehsan Mani to lead the plan to build the country’s biggest cricket stadium in the Capital city.


In this regard, Mani met Capital Development Authority (CDA)’s Chairman Amir Ali Ahmed on Thursday to discuss the roadmap for building the biggest stadium in Pakistan. The stadium will match high-standards containing state-of-the-art High-Performance centre.


CDA’s land, planning, and development department has completed the survey for the stadium. A complete report will be presented to PM Khan by next month. After PM’s approval, the stadium will be built in partnership with the public and private sectors.


According to PCB’s director of High-Performance – Nadeem Khan, this stadium will be the biggest stadium in Asia with high-class facilities. “This is a great initiative by PM and we are looking forward to contributing our role in it. PCB is in touch with CDA for planning the establishment of Islamabad International Cricket Stadium,” he said.


Nadeem also shared that there is a plan to increase sitting capacity inside the Pindi Cricket Stadium in near future.

READ: PCB submits ‘expression of interest’ for hosting six ICC tournaments

 

[Asian.Century]

State of the art stadium set to be built in Islamabad

The stadium will also include a high-performance center and will host various international and local tournaments and fixtures

Zulfiqar Baig in Islamabad
30 June, 2021

PHOTO COURTESY: PCB

On the instructions of the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Ehsan Mani, has been tasked with the responsibility of building a state-of-the-art stadium in the country’s capital, Islamabad.

According to details, efforts are being made to revive the identity of Pakistan throughout the world and the government has set specific targets to achieve their mission which includes the construction of the country’s biggest stadium in Islamabad.

The stadium will also include a high-performance center and will host various international and local tournaments and fixtures.

The PCB chairman Ehsan Mani will be collaborating with the chairman of the Capital Development Authority (CDA), Amir Ali Ahmed, to complete the required task.

A survey to find the ideal location for the venue has been conducted by the director of land, planning and development of the CDA.

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A report on the developments in the project will be presented to the Prime Minister next month.
After being granted permission to proceed, the project will be completed through the help of a public-private partnership.

The director of the national high-performance center of the PCB Nadeem Khan, while speaking to Express News, stated that the project was being moved along at a brisk pace.

“The creation of a state-of-the-art international cricket stadium in Islamabad will help the growth of cricket in the country. This stadium will have all the latest state-of-the-art facilities for the sport. Steady progress is being made on the mega project and the Prime Minister will lay the foundation for it. PCB officials are in constant contact with the officials of the CDA. We are also planning on creating high-performance centers in Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Faisalabad,” Nadeem said.

 

[Asian.Century]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1423562949080276993

 

[S.Y.A]

Bro on a side a stadium in the scenic margalla mountains will always show case Pakistan's and Islamabad's immense natural beauty on TV or internet for ever and years to come.

no it wont. it would lead to deforestation. more and more restaurants and shops will spring up, and then squatter settlements etc. its a stupid idea.

if one wants a stadium in the capital (btw, this capital isnt meant to be the center of economic, industrial or other activities, its meant to be the seat of govt and administration), it should be done on the outskirts, somewhere near the new airport.

 

[Hyde]

I think we need multipurpose sports ground in Islamabad which can accomodate 100,000 people and various sports like it happens in other countries that will definitely help improve the performance of players in other sports as well so that next time we can ready few players for olympics.

We can also have a dedicated stadium in Islamabad for cricket which can accommodate another 100,000 people

 

[Muhammad Omar]

Make a stadium somewhere near Islamabad Airport the place is empty have a better road leading towards it and is out of the city.. Don't cut trees of Margalla

 

[Asian.Century]

Make a stadium somewhere near Islamabad Airport the place is empty have a better road leading towards it and is out of the city.. Don't cut trees of Margalla

no it wont. it would lead to deforestation. more and more restaurants and shops will spring up, and then squatter settlements etc. its a stupid idea.

if one wants a stadium in the capital (btw, this capital isnt meant to be the center of economic, industrial or other activities, its meant to be the seat of govt and administration), it should be done on the outskirts, somewhere near the new airport.

Come guys - Have you seen KPL league today's match and the immense beauty it gave in the Muzaffarbad Cricket Stadium right in the mountains, it's an immense intense, experience. We need a beautiful cricket stadium in Islamabad, be it small but in the back drop of beautiful mountains of margalla for world to see this sight of Pakistan, else we already have so many stadiums with no a mountainous backdrop around Pakistan in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Pindi, Peshawar Gujranwala etc.

Just look at how immensely beautiful Gwadar Cricket stadium looks in below picture with the mountains rock hard solid around the stadium. Just an Awe of how it captures scenary.

 

[S.Y.A]

Come guys - Have you seen KPL league today's match and the immense beauty it gave in the Muzaffarbad Cricket Stadium right in the mountains, it's an immense intense, experience. We need a beautiful cricket stadium in Islamabad, be it small but in the back drop of beautiful mountains of margalla for world to see this sight of Pakistan, else we already have so many stadiums with no a mountainous backdrop around Pakistan in cities like Karachi, Lahore, Pindi, Peshawar Gujranwala etc.

Just look at how immensely beautiful Gwadar Cricket stadium looks in below picture with the mountains rock hard solid around the stadium. Just an Awe of how it captures scenary.

View attachment 767887

there is no greenery in Gwadar.

but sure, keep on destroying what little you have left.

 

[Maula Jatt]

Just use Pindi stadium you burgers...