UNVEILING THE TRUTH: SALE OF WALTON AIRPORT’S LAND FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN PROGRESS.
Pakistan (Muhammad Yasir) A baseless and misleading letter has been circulated in the media, regarding low-cost sales of Walton Airport Land by the CAA. All the assertions made therein are baseless and contrary to the actual facts. These baseless accusations are made with a hidden agenda to undermine the transformative and a game changer project at the Old Walton Airport led by the Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA) in collaboration with its profit sharing partners (i.e Civil Aviation Authority, Government of Punjab and the PCBDDA) . The letter is an attempt to sabotage the repute of all the stakeholders and to jeopardize the Billions of Rupees already invested in the project and the prospective national and international investment, worth Billions of Dollars, with ulterior motives and personal enmity and gains. Walton Airport’s decommissioning stemmed from its impractical location within densely populated urban areas, posing significant safety risks and hindering sustainable development. Consequently, the land was transferred after fulfilment of all requisite approvals of the Federal Government and the Board of the CAA which consequently resulted into a Tripartite Agreement between Civil Aviation Authourity (CAA), Government of Punjab and PCBDDA on profit sharing model with a three-year grace period. CAA was also given an alternative land of 480 acres in Muridke where the construction of aerodrome is in last stages. PCBDDA’s commitment to transparency is underscored by the meticulous conduct of auctions, yielding substantial investments in its current and future projects worth Billions. To date, the Authority has successfully auctioned 12 mixed-use commercial plots, securing a staggering investment of 61 billion PKR. It’s imperative to denounce baseless attempts aimed at sabotaging a project of national importance, evidently motivated by personal agendas. Notably, the timing of these allegations coinciding with international investment agreements suggests a concerted effort to disrupt Pakistan’s trajectory towards economic prosperity and urban rejuvenation.
