RAWALPINDI: The district administration and local police have finalised arrangements for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka T20 and Tri-Nation ODI series, including practice matches from Oct 4 to Nov 13, as Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host seven matches.
As part of the security arrangements, the food street on Double Road will remain closed from Oct 3. Traffic police have provided alternative routes as several roads will remain closed to traffic.
More than 1,500 additional police personnel from the Special Protection Unit (SPU), Elite Force teams and 50 snipers have been called from other districts to assist the local police in maintaining security.
Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Salman Ghani, while chairing a meeting on security and other administrative arrangements for the upcoming cricket matches at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, said all arrangements for the Pakistan-Sri Lanka T20 and Tri-Nation ODI Series scheduled at the stadium from Oct 4 to Nov 13, 2026, had been completed.
He said that alongside security arrangements, all necessary facilities were being improved to ensure that visiting players experienced Pakistan’s hospitality and a peaceful environment.
He added that the visiting players would help project a positive image of Pakistan at the international level.
The commissioner stressed that the public should extend full cooperation to law-enforcement agencies in the national interest and demonstrate discipline during the matches.
The meeting, held at the commissioner’s office, was attended by Pakistan Super League (PSL) officials, the additional commissioner coordination, SSP operations, director general Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA), additional deputy commissioner Finance and Planning and heads of other relevant administrative departments.
Mr Ghani directed all departments concerned to ensure that there was no compromise on arrangements for the matches.
He said the food street adjacent to the cricket stadium had been closed from Oct 3 as a security measure.
He further said patchwork and repair work on Double Road and roads surrounding the cricket stadium had been completed, while all streetlights along the designated routes had also been repaired.
During the briefing, it was stated that the district administration, with the assistance of relevant departments, had made security arrangements.
Following a request by City Police Officer Rawalpindi Hassan Mushtaq Sukhera to the IGP Punjab, additional police personnel from the SPU, Gujrat and Sheikhupura, along with Elite Force teams and 50 snipers, had been placed at the disposal of the CPO Rawalpindi.
A total of 200 walkie-talkie sets and 20 police pick-up vans had also been placed at the disposal of the CPO Rawalpindi. The additional vehicles and equipment would be sent to Rawalpindi police lines by 8pm on Sunday.
Walk-through gates and CCTV cameras had been installed, a Nadra verification counter established at the entry gate, and encroachments along the routes removed.
A control room had also been established at the sports complex to monitor the arrangements.
In addition to the Safe City surveillance system, 200 additional cameras would be installed around the venue and along the routes.
A 30-bed emergency field hospital had also been established at the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Institute (PKLI) to deal with any medical emergency during the matches.
To ensure smooth traffic flow, parking facilities would be provided at the open area of Rawal Park and Satellite Town College.
Spectators would be transported from the designated parking areas to the cricket stadium entrance through shuttle services.
The Civil Defence Bomb Disposal Squad would remain present at the stadium throughout the matches.
Iesco would ensure an uninterrupted power supply during the matches, while a first-aid ambulance and a fire brigade vehicle would remain available near the stadium.
The Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) would deploy staff to ensure cleanliness and sanitation around the cricket stadium throughout the matches.
Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2026
