It may not be “Business of state to do Business”, but it is mandatory role to strictly regulate services provided, essential consumer products produced by state or private organizations. Appointments by successive civil and military governments in violation of merit, and awarding contracts for state funded mega projects, to cronies, or organizations owned by stake holders, have resulted in corruption and waste of billions.  

Today Pakistan continues to be an energy deficient country, with dysfunctional transportation system, inspite of funds allocation. Such abuses cannot be curtailed as long as essential regulatory authorities become dumping grounds for unqualified retired officers, bureaucrats and cronies in a country where there is no dearth of educated, qualified and experienced specialists in various fields. 

Repetitive extensions in completion of New Islamabad Airport started in 2007, with resultant escalation of cost to almost five times initial estimation, and basic design flaws with no penalties to contractor have reduced it to another white elephant. If CAA etc had employed services of qualified soil survey engineers this site was least suitable for construction of mega airport.  

Billions have gone down the drain because of inadequate spacing between two parallel runways making it unsuitable for simultaneous departures and arrivals. Instead of 1,000 meters recommended spacing between two runways it is only 200 meters and CAA tasked to perform regulatory functions failed to point out this major flaw.  

It was obligatory of state funded regulator to ensure that contractor employed qualified and experienced engineers well versed in design and construction of efficient commercial airports. Compare the cost of this airport with expenditure of new airport at Delhi equipped with three parallel runways having CAT 3B landing system and it is shocking. 

MALIK TARIQ ALI, 

Lahore, April 20.