ISLAMABAD: The federal government has approved the construction of a new Convention Centre in Islamabad ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit 2027, officials confirmed. The proposed facility will be located adjacent to the existing Jinnah Convention Centre and is intended to meet international standards for hosting major global conferences.
The decision was announced following a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi at CDA Headquarters, which was attended by Minister of State Talal Chaudhry, Interior Secretary Mohammad Khurram Agha, and senior officials from the district administration and CDA. The new centre will feature a spacious convention hall, along with multiple large conference and meeting rooms, with design work to be handled by both international and local architects.
The move comes after it was observed that the current Jinnah Convention Centre, covering 7.59 acres with 4.13 acres of built-up space, is insufficient to host large-scale international events. Earlier plans to privatise the existing centre were reconsidered in light of this need.
During the meeting, the interior minister also reviewed ongoing infrastructure projects, including the construction of six new police stations in Islamabad, which have been given a 45-day completion deadline.
CDA Chairman Muhammad Ali Randhawa briefed officials that tenders for 10 additional police stations have been issued, the new block of Parliament Lodges will be finished on schedule, and all piles for the T-Chowk Flyover Project have been completed, with the foundation stone for Shaheen Chowk to be laid shortly.
Additionally, restoration work on the R-Block of the Pak Secretariat is nearing completion, and plans for the commercialisation of the Islamabad Expressway are being prepared.