PESHAWAR - Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that federal government has brought revolution in aviation sector by completing scores of mega airport projects, including Bacha Khan and Islamabad International Airports that would provide quality travelling facilities to the passengers.
He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the expansion and up-gradation of the Bacha Khan International Airport (BKIA) that would provide quality air travelling facilities to more than 3.5 million passengers per year. The PM formally unveiled the plaque of the expansion and up-gradation of BKIA (Phase I) during an impressive ceremony here Wednesday in premise of BKIA.
Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Engineer Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Advisor to the Prime Minister on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan, Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, Secretary Aviation Dr Ejaz Munir and high ranking officers of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) were present on the occasion.
After inauguration of BKIA, he said, the airport would easily handle the load of around 3.5 million passengers per year against only 1.5 million before the inauguration of the phase-I.
He said Phase-I of BKIA was completed in a short period of two years and the first flight of PIA was departed today. In addition to state of the art new terminal, passengers’ seats, immigration counters, boarding lodges were increased to facilitate passengers.
The overseas Pakistani especially to KP and Fata would be largely benefited from this gigantic project and they would not go to Islamabad and Lahore for air travelling purposes now onward.
The Prime Minister said the Government despite difficult challenges have successfully completed world class Islamabad International Airport besides upgraded and expanded Fisalabad, Multan and Sailkot airports, which reflected the PML-N Government's deep commitment towards strengthening of aviation sector in the country.
The PM said airports plays key role in economic development and prosperity of people and underscored the need for more vibrant and active role of CAA in terms of planning of future projects, speedy completion of ongoing projects and provision of enhanced facilities to the passengers.
He said up-gradation and renovation work on Quetta International Airport has almost been completed and would be inaugurated in a week that would provide quality services to people of Balochistan.
The Prime Minister said the Government has expedited up-gradation and expansion work on Lahore International Airport that would be completed with an estimated cost of $500million.
The PM said transport and communication sector has achieved tremendous boost during PML-N government tenure and a network of motorways and highways were established that would further expedite pace of economic development and promote industrialization and business besides bring direct foreign investment in the country.
He said work on 1700 kilometres motorways was in progress in the country that signified PML-N government deep commitment towards promotion of transport and communication sectors.
Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said democracy was best solution to all existing problems and if this process was continued all our issues related to economy and infrastructure would be addressed.
The PM said the government has successfully addressed the long inherited issue of energy crisis by increasing gas network and has achieved six percent growth besides lowered the inflation.
He said no country can make progress without strong taxes system and urged people to take full advantages of the Govt's tax reforms and incentives imperative by pay taxes for progress and development of the country.
Earlier, Director Planning and Development CAA, Nadir Shafi appraised the Prime Minister about salient features of the projects and facilities provided to the passengers in BKIA.
He said BKIA was built in 1927 in Peshawar being sixth populated city of Pakistan and its expansion and up-gradation was a great demand of people of KP and Fata that was fulfilled by the PMLN Government.