ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday approved the expansion of Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International and Karachi’s Jinnah International to improve facilities for passengers.
The PM issued this directive while presiding over a meeting attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar, federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Musadik Malik, Ahad Khan Cheema, Attaullah Tarar, and other senior officials.
An official statement from the PM’s Office said the meeting was briefed on a recent survey by an international firm assessing the quality of travel facilities at major airports. It was also briefed on the “master plans of Lahore and Karachi airports, the planning and construction of expansion under them, and the stipulated timeframe”, the statement added.
During the meeting, the PM said these projects should be aligned with international requirements and that third-party validation should be ensured, adding that no compromise would be made on the quality of these projects.
Work to make Karachi an ‘air cargo hub’ underway, premier told
The meeting was informed that work on automated border management systems (e-gates) at major airports was also underway, while “work is also ongoing on the air cargo village to make Karachi an air cargo hub”.
PM Shehbaz also directed that facilities be improved in line with international standards to facilitate travellers while directing the officials concerned to obtain services of internationally renowned firms for the task. He emphasised regular training in high-quality service delivery for officers and staff at airports, along with an improvement in the coordination among various entities present at airports.
The services of the best caterers should be obtained for passengers at airports, and there should be no compromise on the quality of food and beverages, the statement quoted the PM as saying.
The meeting was further briefed on the upgradation of various airports across the country and ongoing development work by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It was informed that the expansion of the runway at Jinnah International Airport had been completed, while the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had also increased staff and counters at airports for passengers’ convenience, besides setting up pre-departure desks at major airports. The meeting was informed that the existing aviation institution in Hyderabad was being further improved to establish an international standard aviation university, with work to commence by February 2028, the statement said.
Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2026
