PAC agrees new Islamabad airport should also be named after Benazir Bhutto

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in its meeting on Thursday unanimously agreed that the new Islamabad airport should also be named after former prime minister Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

The meeting, chaired by leader of the opposition Shehbaz Sharif, discussed the name of the new Islamabad International Airport which was inaugurated in May last year, taking over from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport which previously served the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

There was unanimous agreement among the members that the new airport should also be called Benazir Bhutto International Airport in honour of the assassinated premier.

“At PAC when records of ‘Islamabad Airport’ showed the original name of ‘New Benazir Bhutto International Airport’ all members across the political board endorsed our advice to revert to the right name of the airport. Govt please take note. SMBenazir Bhutto is Pakistan’s pride,” Pakistan Peoples Party’s Senator Sherry Rehman tweeted after the meeting.

After facing delays for many years, the Islamabad International Airport was finally completed and inaugurated by then-PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on May 1 last year, but not before managing to attract controversies relating to mismanagement and wastage of funds.

The Auditor General of Pakistan recently told the PAC that the project had a cost overrun of over Rs68 billion.

During today’s huddle, it was also suggested that the issue of alleged mismanagement and irregularities concerning the new Islamabad airport be addressed first, ahead of its name.

The meeting also reviewed the grants of Airport Security Force for the year 2011-12. Sharing his opinion, Rana Tanveer Hussain said that there should be a ban on grants. He observed that expenditures were done first and their approval sought later.

Syed Fakhar Imam said the power of parliament regarding money bill and grants needed to be determined. Shahida Akthar Ali and Sherry Rehman were of the view that grants could be sought according to needs.

Auditors pointed out that six years ago, a Rs21 million grant was approved for the Civil Aviation Division which was never given a go-ahead by the Parliament, even though as per law, it was the Finance Ministry’s responsibility to take the approval.

They further informed the meeting that five acres of Civil Aviation Authority’s land in Karachi was leased to a private party in 1992 and this resulted in losses of over Rs5 billion.

At this, an inquiry committee headed by Shahida Akhtar was formed to look into the matter.