City Landmarks – People’s Stadium Lyari

Pakistan’s Biggest Football Stadium. Lyari’s Pride. A lot of us wonder why Lyari? But where else? Lyari has 162 football clubs. And guns of lyari stop for nothing else but the love of football. People’s stadium is a landmark marking Lyari’s passion for the beautiful game.

People’s stadium was built in 1995 during People’s Party’s regime. It is still the only purpose built, floodlit football stadium in the country. It can accomodate forty thousands fans and has hosted many international matches and tournaments, more recently a friendly between Palestine and Pakistan. The sports complex has a conference room, a press balcony, changing rooms, a commentary box, an indoor gym, a boxing arena, canteens and plenty of rooms. The architect has not put much effort in making it remarkable with less than impressive front and bare minimum quality accessories. The whole complex is spread over ten acres. The stadium caters to various clubs and hosts various local and international tournaments on regular basis.

The stadium is at the main road leading to Lyari Expressway and SITE. This has its own pros and cons. It is easily accessible from Mai Kolachi and II Chundrigar but the amount of pollution and dust it receives has marginalized its presence. On a regular day everything inside the stadium is covered with multiple layers of dust. The overall condition of the stadium is below par, with no goal nets, uneven level of pitch and rusty fixtures and installments. The stadium oversees unpleasent cement structures of Lyari.

Sadly, as is the case with many other building, the complex is being used by Paksitan Rangers. If you happen to go there, you would be greeted by Rangers at the main gate. Once they let you in, you would find small groups of their jawwans here and there. You can see their dirty laundry hanging at the entrance. Like pigeons, they will continue occupying every place which is not theirs.