ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar was briefed on the progress made so far in the resumption of PIA flights to Europe and the UK on Friday. The briefing was given at a meeting of the Steering Committee on Outsourcing of Islamabad, Karachi, and Lahore Airports under the Chairmanship of the Secretary of State at the Ministry of External Affairs.
The meeting was attended by the Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives, the Minister for Law, Justice and Human Rights (on the telephone), and the Secretaries of the Ministry of Aviation and the Legal Division along with senior government officials from the Ministries of Aviation, External Affairs, Finance and Lands Director of the International Finance Corporation ( IFC).
The IFC Country Director reported on the progress of the airport outsourcing project so far and informed the committee that multiple efforts to continuously engage with potential investors have yielded positive results and the new political government in office has expanded the confidence of investors to invest in Pakistan.
With this intention, international bidders from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Germany, Turkey, Netherlands, Malaysia, and local consortia have requested an extension of the bidding deadlines to complete their due diligence. The Foreign Secretary has assured committed investors of full support through economic diplomacy and an expedited process to achieve a successful outcome for this flagship project.
Taking into account the requirements of the interested bidders and based on the strong recommendation of the IFC, the commission decided to extend the deadline for submission of bids by 60 days until May 15, 2024. The Minister noted the progress achieved and ensured the full diplomatic support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the newly adopted economic diplomacy strategy and in the wider public interest including the Pakistani diaspora in the UK and EU.