Work has started on a Rs5.5 billion upgrade of Dera Ghazi Khan airport, which is expected to be finished by January 2028, Federal Energy Minister Sardar Awais Ahmad Khan Leghari said. He made the remarks while visiting the site to inspect the project, where Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) teams are working, including on proposals to lengthen the runway.
The work follows a decision by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to turn the airport into a facility for international flights. Leghari said the project would make travel easier for residents and open new economic opportunities across South Punjab. Earlier, the CAA project director briefed the minister and presented him with a commemorative shield.
Four major projects planned for the city
The airport is one of four major schemes the prime minister has announced for the city. The others are a cancer hospital, a long-term sewerage scheme, and the widening and rehabilitation of roads.
According to Leghari, the sewerage system is being designed to meet the region’s needs for the next 50 years. Wider, rehabilitated roads are expected to ease transport and commuting. The government says these projects will strengthen public services and support regional development.
Load shedding and efforts to curb power losses
Leghari also addressed load shedding and losses in Pakistan’s power distribution network. He said power cuts follow an established schedule, and that limits on gas supplies, linked to wider geopolitical tensions, had raised the cost of generating electricity.
The government is introducing modern technology to tackle electricity theft and reduce transmission and distribution losses. The Advanced Power Management System (APMS) is being installed on transformers nationwide to pinpoint areas with heavy theft. Leghari said it would let authorities cut power to specific transformers instead of penalising thousands of paying customers on an entire feeder.
He added that load shedding would continue on feeders where AT&C losses reach 30 percent or more. The minister said the government would act against electricity theft and persistent non-payment.
