ISLAMABAD : Balochistan government has failed to provide necessary security for the establishment of International Airport in Gawadar; Frontier Constabulary is not being deployed for the security of the workers.
This was told by defense officials to the Senate Standing Committee
meeting on Defense and Defense Production held here Thursday presided
over by its Chairman Lt. Gen (retd) Javed Ashraf Qazi. It is being said
that the establishment of airport will transform the map of the region
and it will boost the business activities in the region. Funds needed
for the security of the area will be made part of the project,
officials told.
Defense officials admitted that to not gain the ownership of the
land at the time of payment was a mistake which has created problems.
Standing committee on defense was briefed that the Gawadar
international airport will cost over Rs. 7.6 billions. A total of four
thousand and three hundred acre of land has been acquired for the
project, it was told.
Additional Secretary Ministry of Defense Major Gen (r) Haider Ali
told the committee that we had decided a rate of the land with owners
but they argued for an increase later. He said the provincial
government failure to provide security to the workforce against the
threats of the locals have compelled the work to stop several times.
Standing committee termed the principal unity in the view point of
the army and air force as insufficient concerning acquisition of the
land for the extension plan of the Peshawar airport and directed them
to formally acquire ‘no objection certificate (NOC)’ in this regard
from both defense institutions.
Members of the committee were briefed that extension project of the
Peshawar Airport will cost Rs. 9 billion rupees. Construction of its
new terminal will cost Rs. 6 billion rupees while acquisition of the
over six acre land from the army will cost Rs.2.7 billion. Similarly
construction of Pakistan Air Force infrastructure will cost around Rs.
290 million, the committee was briefed.
Civil Aviation Authority officials told the committee that extension
of the run way would not be possible because the requisite place have a
railway track. Railway has opposed to remove the track because it is
the route of the historic train of Landi Kotal. Members of the Defense
Committee opposed this statement of the Railway saying if army has no
objection on this matter then why Railway has.
Committee was also told that Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had
promised to provide funds under Public Sector Development Program
(PSDP) but the federal government hasn’t provided the funds yet.
Officials told that this project will also be discussed in the National Economic Council meeting tomorrow (Saturday).
Standing Committee on Defense has also decided to call its special
meeting regarding the current security situation of the country.
Meeting will call upon the high officials of the concerned agencies to
brief on the prevailing situation. SANA
