Multan Airport: Prime Minister performs ground-breaking of passenger terminal

[Hyde]

Multan Airport: Prime Minister performs ground-breaking of passenger terminal ​

MULTAN (June 21 2010): Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Sunday performed the ground-breaking of a new passenger terminal at Multan airport here. The Rs 4.5 billion project's first phase ie upgradation of the runway from 9,000 feet to 10,500 feet besides apron is in final stage of completion at a cost of Rs 1.8 billion to ensure operations of direct flights between Multan and European and other destinations.

At least two bays will be available for wide-body aircraft such as A340, B777, B747 and cargo planes.

The modern passenger terminal and allied facilities are part of the phase two which will be completed in two years to transform the facility into the most modern and state-of-the-art international airport to ease the discomfort being faced by passengers.

Out of Rs 4.5 billion (US $72.9 million), Rs 3.5 billion were being contributed from the ADP of CAA and the rest of Rs 1 billion were arranged by the federal government.

Minister for Defence Production Sardar Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, PM's advisor on IT Sardar Latif Khan Khosa, Defence Secretary and chairman CAA board Lieutenant-General Syed Athar Ali and Air Commodore Junaid Amin were present in the ceremony.

Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that it is the historical moment not only for me but also for all the people of Multan that finally Multan International Airport has been made functional. He expressed these views while inaugurating the passenger terminal building at the newly constructed local airport here on Sunday.

Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said with the completion of this airport, the new ways of development and progress would open for business and transportation. Tourism industry would flourish in the centuries Old City of Multan and foreign tourists would also get the international standard travelling facilities.

Prime minister criticised the role of former governments on this occasion for this project and said that no other government had tried to complete this project. "It is the top most priority of my government to complete the people welfare projects that's why this great project of Multan is under progress and runway is finally completed", he added.

He assured that Hajj flights would take the Hujjaj directly from Multan to Jeddah in the upcoming Hajj season. With this project not only industry would flourish but the export of vegetables and fruits would also get boom. Our mango industry would especially get benefit with the international airport as our mango would be now available to every part of the world and the farmers of southern Punjab would get a lot of opportunities to export their products.

Prime Minister termed his 27 months government full of challenges and said that federation has always stressed on the politics of compromise that's why 18th Amendment has been removed mutually with the consent of all political parties. He admitted that people are facing a lot of problems but this fact is not negligible that government is not responsible for all these sufferings.

To a question, Gilani said that international world has hailed the role of Pakistan in war against terror and our army and law-enforcing agencies has broken the backbone of terrorists. "About 2.5 million families have returned to their homes", he added.

He further added that now the next milestone for his government is to make housing schemes for the low-income people. The provision of home is the basic right of every citizen so Defence Housing Authority (DHA) should be established in Multan too like in Lahore, Karachi and Rawalpindi that provide houses to especially low income people. We will take the country ahead according to the dreams of our Quaid and vision of Benazir Bhutto and very soon overcome all the problems. Prime Minister specially thanked hundreds of people gathered on this occasion in such a hot scorching weather.