Pakistan to outsource Islamabad airport for 15 years to improve operations — minister 

People gather to receive arriving passengers at the international arrival area of the Islamabad International Airport in Islamabad, Pakistan on February 3, 2020. (AFP/File)
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Updated 22 July 2023
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Pakistan to outsource Islamabad airport for 15 years to improve operations — minister 

  • Saad Rafique says the move to outsource the airport does not equate to privatization 
  • Says airport’s runway, navigation operations not to be included in outsourcing process 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s aviation minister has announced the government would outsource the management of the Islamabad International Airport to a third party for a period of 15 years to improve its operational activities, Pakistani state media reported on Friday. 

The airport, which became fully operational in May 2018 after replacing the defunct Benazir Bhutto International Airport, serves as the largest airfield in the country in terms of cargo and passenger capacity, and caters to 9 million passengers each year, according to its official website. 

The Islamabad airport is also the second busiest one in the country after the Jinnah International Airport in Pakistan’s commercial hub of Karachi. 

“The move does not equate to privatization. Instead, it aims to bring in proficient operators to enhance airport operations,” the state-run APP news agency quoted Rafique as saying during a parliamentary session. 

“Open competitive bidding would be ensured, allowing the best bidder to be given the opportunity to operate the airport.” 

The process would be profit-oriented and ultimately benefit the national exchequer, according to the minister. 

“The International Finance Corporation will serve as the consultant, and already 12-13 companies have shown interest in participating in the bidding process,” he said. 

Rafique highlighted the success of outsourced airports in other countries like India and Turkiye, mentioning that even the Madinah airport had been efficiently outsourced to deliver enhanced services. 

He, however, clarified that the runway and navigation operations of the Islamabad airport would not be included in the outsourcing process. 

The minister assured that the process would be transparent and in accordance with rules and regulations. 

“No employees would be laid off, and all existing staff would retain their job security and privileges,” he said. “However, best practices would be implemented to ensure facilities at airports are efficiently managed.” 

He also stressed the need to restructure the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) to address its substantial deficit, which had reached Rs80 billion this year and was projected to increase to Rs259 billion by 2030, if not dealt with appropriately. 


Pakistan parliament calls for national response against ‘external sponsors’ of terror after Balochistan attacks

Updated 41 min 47 sec ago
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Pakistan parliament calls for national response against ‘external sponsors’ of terror after Balochistan attacks

  • Militants killed 50 people, including 17 law enforcers, in coordinated attacks across Balochistan last week
  • Resolution follows government accusations that India backed the assaults, a charge New Delhi denies

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s National Assembly on Tuesday adopted a resolution condemning a wave of militant attacks in the southwestern province of Balochistan and called for an immediate, coordinated national response against what it described as “external sponsors” of terrorism.

The resolution came days after separatist militants carried out coordinated gun and bomb attacks across multiple districts in Balochistan, targeting security installations and government facilities, in one of the deadliest flare-ups of violence in the province in recent months.

Pakistan’s State Minister for Interior Tallal Chaudry said the attacks on Friday and Saturday killed 50 people, including 33 civilians and 17 law enforcement personnel. State media reported on Monday that security forces had killed 177 militants since the assaults began.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said last week that the attacks, claimed by the separatist Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), were planned from India. New Delhi rejected the allegation as “baseless,” saying Islamabad was attempting to deflect attention from its internal challenges. Pakistan has long accused India of backing militant groups in Balochistan and the northwestern province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, charges India has consistently denied.

The parliamentary resolution, tabled by Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Dr. Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said evidence from several militant incidents had highlighted “external patronage” of armed groups and raised “serious concerns, particularly regarding the role of India.”

“This house demands that an immediate, comprehensive, coordinated and multi-dimensional national response be ensured against these external sponsors and internal facilitators, including funding, smuggling, and propaganda networks, bringing together the political, diplomatic, military, intelligence, legal and narrative fronts,” the resolution stated, according to a copy seen by Arab News.

It said terrorism in Pakistan was being facilitated through logistical and operational support, financial assistance, training, medical treatment, and propaganda networks originating from certain neighboring countries.

The resolution expressed solidarity with victims and their families and praised Pakistan’s security forces for what it described as effective action against militants. It also voiced concern over militant networks increasingly involving women in attacks.

“This house expresses profound grief, sorrow, and concern over the fact that terrorist networks are attempting to exploit women and use them against the state and society through coercion, psychological pressure and blackmail,” it said.

Lawmakers called for national unity and urged political forces to rise above differences, vowing that the state would not compromise on the protection of its citizens or national security.

Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by land area, has long faced a separatist insurgency that has intensified in recent years. Militants frequently target security forces, government officials, infrastructure projects, foreigners, and non-local workers.

The province holds vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons and is central to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Separatist groups such as the BLA accuse Islamabad of exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources while denying locals a fair share. Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership reject the claim and say they are investing in the province’s development.

Balochistan is home to vast reserves of minerals and hydrocarbons, and also to the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship component of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

Separatist militant groups such as the BLA blame Islamabad for exploiting Balochistan’s natural resources and denying locals a share in them. The military and civilian government reject these allegations and say they are investing in the province’s development.