July 28, 2008	Monday	Rajab 24, 1429

HYDERABAD, July 27: People’s Party MNA from Jamshoro Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur said that if PIA flights were not resumed from Hyderabad airport, as per announced schedule, he would raise the issue on the floor of the National Assembly.

In a statement faxed to Dawn, he deplored the postponement of the flight schedule which was to take effect from August 3, and said that it was tantamount to discrimination against the people of Hyderabad and other parts of Sindh. He wondered why agriculturists and industrialists of interior of Sindh were being deprived of air travel facility.

He rejected the argument of Civil Aviation Authority that the runway of Hyderabad airport was not long enough and claimed that in Punjab and other provinces, there were even smaller runways at some airports.

The MNA said that Hyderabad was the gateway to Sindh and the second most important city of the province and if air service was started from here it would open new avenues for development.