Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Pakistan government is seeking Turkish expertise to to elevate the passenger facilities at its airports and is considering outsourcing certain services.
The PM’s remarks came during a meeting with a delegation from Istanbul Grand Airport on April 6.
“We are taking proactive measures to upgrade the facilities for passengers at the airports in Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore,” the Prime Minister’s office stated, quoting Sharif from the meeting.
“Pakistan is pioneering the initiative to outsource certain commercial operations of Islamabad International Airport under a public-private partnership model. Transparency will remain our foremost priority throughout the airport outsourcing process,” Sharif further announced.
Pakistan is swiftly progressing towards economic stability and is open to welcoming global businesspeople and investors, Sharif told the delegation.
“We are particularly eager to foster investment and partnership with our brotherly nation, Turkiye,” he added.
Highlighting the abundant investment and partnership prospects in Pakistan’s urban development sector, Sharif said that this is the perfect time to boost business collaborations between Pakistan and Turkey.
The Turkish delegation affirmed their keen interest in exploring investment and partnership avenues in Pakistan.
The meeting was also attended by senior members from Turkiye’s diplomatic mission in Pakistan, as well as Pakistan’s Defense and Aviation Minister, Khawaja Asif, and other top officials.
Airport outsourcing timeline
The Steering Committee on the Outsourcing of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore Airports decided to prolong the bid submission deadline by an additional 60 days, now set for May 15, 2024.
Sharif’s government, during its previous term, formulated plans to enhance airport management administration by potentially allowing foreign entities to oversee operations. The aim was to leverage international expertise and investment either through public-private partnerships or direct management contracts to operate and develop Pakistan’s airfields.
