Why has the Islamabad International Airport project failed to take off even after a lapse of 10 years?
ISLAMABAD: It is well known to the residents of Islamabad that the existing international airport is a facility that actually belongs to the Pakistan Air Force. This small facility has been in use as the capital’s international airport for decades. The residents of the capital have been longing for an international airport befitting the stature of the beautiful capital. This dream seemed to have started taking shape when the foundation of the new international airport, at Fateh Jang, was laid in 2004 by then prime minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz.
It is said that the new Islamabad International Airport, which remains inoperative, even after a lapse of over a decade, would have outstanding facilities of international standards. It would have 90 check-in counters and a parking facility for 2,000 vehicles and would cater to roughly nine million people every year. Everything sounds awfully fancy. The question, however, that continues to boggle the minds of the people is, why has the project failed to take off even after a lapse of 10 years?
The gargantuan new Islamabad International Airport project was to be completed at a cost of Rs37 billion. Reportedly, the cost has now more than doubled, from Rs37 billion to Rs81 billion and is expected to increase again due to further delays in making the project operational. This drastic increase in cost is incredibly shocking. Any extent of reasoning cannot justify this unwarranted escalation in cost. Undeniably, projects of this magnitude are bound to have a number of minor and major problems. The main hurdle in the way of making the project operational is the shortage or non-availability of water. Regardless of their magnitude, problems can be overcome with proper planning and timely intervention. This is what has not been done in the case of the new airport. It is now being said that 80 per cent of the work on the project has been completed and the facility will become operational in the last quarter of 2016. After inordinate delay in completion of the project, should one believe that this new target will be ultimately met? The prime minister should take immediate cognisance of this critical issue and set a deadline for the project’s completion, which is of immense national importance. If the new deadline is the last quarter of 2016, he must ensure that it is met at all costs.
M Fazal Elahi
Published in The Express Tribune, November 2nd, 2015.
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