ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Senate was informed on Friday that as per revised PC-1, new Islamabad International Airport would cost around Rs 81 billion and an amount of Rs 75.887 billion had been spent on it so far.
Replying to various supplementary questions during Question Hour, the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmed told that the project was near to completion and it would be opened shortly.
The minister said the airport was being connected with network of roads. Work on Metro Bus project was also being carried out on fast track to provide best facilities to the commuters, he added.
Sheikh Aftab said the dam had also been competed to fulfill water requirement of the new Islamabad airport besides installing 11 tube wells.
To another question, the minister said the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flights on New York route had been suspended due to annually loss of Rs 1 billion. He said a sub-committee had been set up to review affairs of PIA besides appointing new Chief of the Airline.
The minister said the government was making all out efforts to address PIA issues. More aircrafts were being acquired on dry and wet leases to expand flights operation, he added.
To a question, Sheikh Aftab said National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) was pursuing the compliance level of Performance Standards Distribution) Rules (PSDR) 2005.
The minister for Parliamentary Affairs said NEPRA was carrying out monitoring activities of K-Electric on regular basis since last few years, he said adding during monitoring/verification of media reports regarding un-due load shedding in Karachi in 2015, it was established that K-Electric failed to provide uninterrupted power supply to its consumers on a non-discriminatory basis.
Based on the monitoring results in 2015, NEPRA initiated legal proceedings and after due process, a fine of Rs 10 million was imposed on K-Electric.
Similarly, the same situation was also noted while carrying out the monitoring in 2016 and accordingly, K-Electric was strictly directed to follow the requirements of Performance Standards (Distribution) Rules 2005, he said.
The minister said NEPRA took serious notices of all major power breakdowns occurred in Karachi in 2017 and acquired detailed power outages reports from K-Electric. He said an explanation had also been issued to K-Electric upon the failure of power supply on June 28, 2017.
