ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday gave the Capital Development Authority (CDA) a 10-day deadline to finalise the designs of the proposed cricket stadium in Islamabad and the Kashmir Chowk underpass.

A meeting in this regard was held at CDA Headquarters under the chairmanship of the interior minister.

During the meeting, various public welfare projects was review in detail, says a statement issued by the interior ministry.

It was decided that a state-of-the-art cricket stadium would be constructed in Islamabad. The CDA, in collaboration with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), plans to construct an international cricket stadium at the foothills of Margalla near Sector D-12.

CDA plans to construct a five-star hotel, convention centre

The land for this proposed project is already earmarked.

Additionally, to improve traffic flow at Kashmir Chowk, a smart underpass will be constructed, with the final design to be submitted within 10 days, according to the press release.

It was also decided to hire renowned companies for the construction of a five-star hotel in Islamabad.

The meeting asked the relevant departmentto submit details of commercial plots lying vacant for long in next meeting.

The meeting also decided to constitute a special team to hire a Solid Waste Management company.

The press release said that the meeting was also told that land has been allocated for the headquarters of law enforcement agencies.

“Various proposals for the construction of a new convention centre in the federal capital were also discussed. Proposals for allocating land for the headquarters of the Federal Constabulary, Rangers, and Islamabad Traffic Police were also reviewed,” the press release said.

Mr Naqvi stated that operations against encroachments will continue with full force, and the retrieved land will be used for public welfare project.

Meanwhile, a statement issued by CDA stated that an internal meeting of CDA, headed by Chairman Mohammad Ali Randhawa, was also held to review progress on various development projects.

During the meeting, matters related to the construction of the Electric Bus Depot and charging stations were discussed.

The briefing informed that the under-construction Electric Bus Depot consists of two sites. It was informed that 97 per cent construction work on the project has been completed.

It was further stated that construction work at Site A of the bus depot has been fully completed.

The meeting was informed that all 21 routes of the electric bus service have been made fully functional.

It was further informed that the electric bus service is receiving an overwhelming response from citizens, with daily ridership increasing. In this regard, on December 31, 2025, a total of 102,000 citizens benefited from this facility.

Progress on the project to connect Margalla Avenue with the M-1 Motorway was also reviewed. Similarly, detailed deliberations were held on the construction of the convention, expo and exhibition centre, as well as a luxury hotel project in Islamabad.

CDA Chairman said that the authority aims to promote the hospitality industry in Islamabad in order to develop the capital into a modern city in line with international standards. He directed that the designs of all development projects should be state-of-the-art and emphasised further strengthening the architecture and design wing of the CDA.

Published in Dawn, January 2nd, 2026