ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan is going to upgrade two more airports to international standards, local media reported, citing sources.
It said the Pakistan Airports Authority (PAA) has approved major decisions, including upgradation of Sukkur and Dera Ismail Khan (DI Khan) airports to international standards.
According to the sources, the authority has decided to expand Sukkur Airport runway to meet international standards. Similarly, Dera Ismail Khan Airport will undergo a complete reconstruction to transform it into a modern-era facility.
On the other hand, the authority’s Board of Directors has also approved expansion of Rahim Yar Khan Airport, which includes the renovation of infrastructure and the extension of the runway.
Mirpur Airport!
The federal government is also mulling to construct a new airport in Mirpur, Azad Kashmir after the completion of a feasibility study.
All these decisions were formally approved during the latest Board meeting of the Pakistan Airports Authority.
It is to mention here that the federal government is going to build an airport in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (Mirpur) on the demand of overseas Pakistanis.
Building an airport in AJK has been a long-standing demand of overseas Pakistanis.
In this context, some British Parliament Members of Kashmiri origin has sent a letter to the federal government supporting the demand.
British MPs had written to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging the construction of the airport.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Mohammad Faisal, has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to build an international airport in Mirpur.
This assurance was provided during a follow-up meeting at the Pakistan High Commission in London, led by Lord Qurban Hussain, Sitara-e-Quaid-e-Azam.
The meeting was attended by Haji Chaudhry Mohammad Qurban, Chairman of the Mirpur International Airport Movement UK and Europe, along with other prominent community leaders.
Dr. Faisal informed the delegation that Prime Minister Mian Mohammad Shehbaz Sharif has personally announced the plan, while Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is overseeing the project’s progress.
