Islamabad, Dec 6: Ahsan Iqbal, Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives, chaired a meeting with the Public-Private Partnership Authority (P3A) to review progress on key projects. He directed the Aviation Ministry to expedite the outsourcing of operations at Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi airports.

  • Airport Outsourcing:
    • Islamabad Airport: Bids under evaluation by the Pakistan Airports Authority’s Technical Evaluation Committee.
    • Lahore & Karachi Airports: Due diligence reports submitted to P3A. Talks are underway with a UAE-based company for Lahore Airport.

Additionally, the Civil Aviation Authority has paused Lahore airport’s expansion following the prime minister’s directive.

  • Foreign Investment Agenda:
    The minister tasked the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) to finalize a targeted agenda for Rs. 29 billion projects with Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, and Azerbaijan. These investments aim to expand exports and strengthen Pakistan’s economy.
  • Karachi Port Cargo Efficiency:
    Improvements in cargo efficiency at Karachi Port were also discussed, focusing on establishing a freight corridor. The minister instructed the Ministry of Maritime Affairs to coordinate with Karachi Port Trust to address scheduling challenges caused by restricted operational hours.

Iqbal emphasized that well-structured investment strategies and efficient public-private partnerships are pivotal to Pakistan’s economic growth.

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