ISLAMABAD, June 15: The government, he said, had allocated Rs60 million for the establishment of ‘unknown soldier’ monument at Shakarparian in the fiscal year 2003-2004, a CDA official told Dawn on Sunday.

The Rs120 million project will be completed by the CDA in collaboration with the sports and culture ministry.

The official said Rs10 million had already been spent on the project and Rs50 million would be spent in the next fiscal year.

The project remained in doldrums for over 30 years, but now it is being launched on the directives of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.

The official said the CDA would hold a national competition to choose best design for the monument, and reputed firms would be invited in this regard.

He said the establishment of the monument was first considered in 1966, and in 1969, the cabinet division directed the CDA to build a national war memorial at an square in front of the parliament building and presidency.

After holding a national design competition, a committee, headed by the then secretary general of defence ministry, decided that the monument should be built on the west view point at Shakarparian.