ICCI stresses to expedite work on new airport

Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ICCI) has shown has expressed concern over the inordinate delay in completion of the new Islamabad airport at Fateh Jang.

ICCI President Zafar Bakhtawari said that the new airport project was initiated in 2007 and was to be completed by December 2011, but due to delays its cost has reportedly skyrocketed from Rs.35 billion to Rs.73 billion. “It is making a huge dent on the national exchequer and shows inefficiency of project executors,” he added.

He said the economic impact of airports is increasing along with growing passenger and cargo traffic. However, the current Islamabad airport lacks modern day facilities and is insufficient to manage heavy load of cargo and passenger traffic. “The ever increasing rush at the current airport is creating hurdles for local and foreign businessmen,” he stated. Thus the early completion of the new airport is very important.

He announced that ICCI is striving for construction of an Industrial Estate near Chakri, which is near to the new airport. Its completion is will facilitate industrial and investment activities as businessmen prefer to stay near to airports.

The ICCI president appreciated the vison of Prime Minister (PM) Nawaz Sharif for building international standards airports at Karachi and Lahore. He appealed to the PM to intervene to expedite completion work as it will not only provide a major facelift to the capital but will also promote trade, business, exports and economic activities in the region and attract more tourists to Pakistan.