The Senate was informed today that Gawadar International Airport will be a modern airport with the facility of night navigation. Minister for Aviation Ghulam Sarwar Khan, during the question hour, told the house that China has agreed to provide over thirty five thousand million rupees for the construction of the New Gawadar International Airport.
He said construction work on the airport is expected to begin by June this year and it will be completed in three years.
The Minister said Pakistan International Airlines has started flying on commercially viable routes and has discontinued service on non-viable routes.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, responding to a question regarding Pak-Afghan trade relations, said Pakistan has always taken steps to create a peaceful environment so that trade could flourish between the two countries.
He said Pakistan has recently gifted Muhammad Ali Jinnah hospital worth twenty four million dollars to Afghanistan as a goodwill gesture.
The Minister of State told the house that export to Afghanistan in 2016-17 was 1299 million dollars and it has increased to 1301 million dollars in 2018-19.
The House today held discussion on an adjournment motion regarding recent hike in the prices of petroleum products. Participating in the debate, the opposition members criticized the government’s policies saying these have contributed to price hike in the country.
Those who participated in the discussion include; Sherry Rehman, Javed Abbasi, Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Raza Rabbani.
Responding to a point raised by Raza Rabbani, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Azam Khan Swati said Pakistan steel Mills is not being privatized. He said under Public Private Partnership, the steel mills will be taken towards improvement.
He said that there is no conflict of interest in the appointment of new Chairman FBR.