*ISLAMABAD: **New Islamabad Airport Cost escalation from Rs 38 billion to Rs 105 billion, Financial embezzlement and Irregularities reported.*
*Federal Minister for Aviation, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, on Thursday said that financial irregularities were made in the construction of Islamabad International Airport.*
Ghulam Sarwar Khan, in his statement, confirmed that the investigation is underway for the irregularities in the construction of Islamabad airport as its cost reached Rs105 billion from Rs38 billion.
While commenting over the financial crisis of the national flag-carrier, the aviation minister said that the deficit of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was standing at Rs430 billion when the present government came into power in 2018.
He said that the national flag-carrier had overall 33 planes in which 13 aircraft were present in complete ownership of PIA while other planes were on dry and wet lease. Khan detailed that four planes were grounded by the previous government and its spare parts were fixed into other planes.
The aviation minister said that the present government is serious for the restoration of the national flag-carrier and its effective policies brought improvements. Our government had formulated new national policy for aviation.”