PM calls for revisiting master plan of Islamabad
The opening of Islamabad’s new Airport has been delayed until December 2017
The residents of Islamabad were eagerly waiting for the inauguration of New Islamabad International Airport in August after many delays.
But the disappointing news is that Islamabad’s new Airport has been delayed again by several months despite the government promises of opening the Airport on 70th Independence Day on 14 August 2017.
This time, incomplete link roads have led to the delay of the project opening, again and will now be inaugurated in December 2017, it was announced.
The delay was revealed in a Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Secretariat which met with Talha Mehmood in the chair citing incomplete link road.
Expressing dismay over the delays, the committee’s chairman said that poor planning on part of the National Highway Authority (NHA) was causing delays in the multi-billion-rupee project. “The absence of link roads would cause huge financial losses to the government,” he told media.
Even though the project has been delayed, Mehmood said that 97 per cent of construction work on the new airport has been completed and issues pertaining to gas, water and electricity supply have also been resolved.
The Senator maintained that the new Islamabad International Airport project was initiated in 2007 with an estimated cost of Rs. 32 billion, but due to flawed planning, it was delayed repeatedly and now the cost stood at Rs82 billion.
Earlier, Capital Development Authority (CDA) officials told the committee that construction of the Islamabad Metro Bus had caused delays in building the link roads.
However, CDA officials assured members that all links roads leading to the airport are expected to be completed by the end of December.
Meanwhile, top officials of the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) told the panel that 19 projects relating to the Islamabad airport were currently underway and most of them were close to completion.
The standing committee meeting was attended by senators including Kamil Ali Agha, Kalsoom Parveen, Shahi Syed, Haji Saif Ullah Khan Bangesh, Hidayat Ullah, Secretary Aviation Division, Director General Aviation Division, Deputy Commissioner Attock, Assistant Commissioner Fateh Jang and National Highways Authority (NHA)officials.
Check out the progress of the New Airport in these tweets:
Work underway at New Islamabad International Airport interior#Islamabad #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/uk1QYpcULZ
— Developing Pakistan (@Developing_Pak) July 30, 2017
This is neither Dubai intl nor Heathrow Airport. This is Islamabad International Airport will start it’s operation in less than one month!?? pic.twitter.com/QbD06VAKpG
— Taimur Malik (@Taymurmalik) July 26, 2017
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