Rs5.5b airport upgrade underway

Work is in progress on a Rs5.5 billion project to prepare Dera Ghazi Khan Airport for international flights, The Express Tribune reported. The expansion is expected to finish by January 2028, with Pakistan Airports Authority teams carrying out runway works at the site. Federal Minister for Energy Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari inspected the project and said the upgrade would improve travel facilities for people in the area.

The airport scheme is among four development initiatives announced for DG Khan, alongside a cancer hospital, a long-term sewerage plan and road improvements. Separately, Leghari said the government is installing Advanced Power Management Systems on transformers to identify electricity theft and focus disconnections on affected areas, while scheduled load-shedding continues on feeders with AT&C losses of 30% or more. The report also cited higher generation costs linked to constraints on gas supply and availability.