Administrative Zone Division

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan
Pakistan is set to establish its first aircraft Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility built to European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) standards at Islamabad International Airport, marking a major step toward modernising the country’s aviation infrastructure and reducing dependence on foreign maintenance providers.
The project forms part of the Ministry of Defence’s Aviation Sector Transformation Program and is being developed by private aviation services company Nortec. Alongside the MRO facility, the company will construct a state of the art aircraft maintenance hangar and a Full Flight Simulator to support advanced pilot training at the airport.
Once completed, the MRO centre will provide comprehensive inspection, maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for a range of commercial aircraft, including the Airbus A318 and A319 families. The facility is expected to enable airlines operating in Pakistan to carry out major maintenance work domestically, significantly reducing the need to send aircraft abroad for servicing. This is expected to lower operational costs, shorten maintenance turnaround times, and improve fleet availability.
The new maintenance complex will also create opportunities for the development of a highly skilled aviation workforce by providing engineers, technicians, and maintenance professionals with access to internationally recognised facilities and standards.
In a parallel development, Airblue is constructing its own modern aircraft maintenance hangar at Islamabad International Airport. The hangar will provide a controlled environment that protects aircraft, engineering teams, maintenance equipment, and technical operations from adverse weather while improving the efficiency and safety of maintenance activities.
The airline is also developing a modern Flight Training Centre equipped with a Full Flight Simulator, which is expected to become operational by April 2027. The simulator will allow pilots to receive advanced training and recurrent certification within Pakistan, reducing training costs and limiting the need for overseas simulator sessions.
Officials said the combined projects represent a significant investment in Pakistan’s aviation sector and are designed to improve technical capability, strengthen regulatory compliance with international standards, and position Islamabad International Airport as a regional centre for aircraft maintenance and aviation training. The initiatives are also expected to support long term growth in the country’s commercial aviation industry while enhancing operational safety and self reliance.

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan
South Korea’s state owned power company, Korea South East Power Company (KOEN), has sought the immediate intervention of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, warning that prolonged regulatory delays at the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) have placed two hydropower projects worth nearly $1 billion in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at risk.

In a letter sent to the prime minister, KOEN Chief Executive Officer Kim Min-young said the company had been working since 2016 on the 229 megawatt Asrit Kedam and 238 megawatt Kalam Asrit run of river hydropower projects on the Swat River.

The two projects have a combined generation capacity of 467 megawatts and are expected to attract approximately $1 billion in foreign direct investment.

According to the company, a hearing on the tariff determination for the projects was held at NEPRA three years ago, but the regulator has yet to issue a final decision.

The letter stated that KOEN had repeatedly approached NEPRA through written correspondence and in-person meetings. It added that the NEPRA Appellate Tribunal had also directed the regulator in July 2024 to decide the tariff matter, but the order had not yet been implemented.

KOEN said it had already spent around $25 million on feasibility studies, engineering designs, environmental assessments and other preliminary work related to the projects.

The company warned that any further delay in regulatory approval, or the exclusion of the projects from the revised Indicative Generation Capacity Expansion Plan 2035, could jeopardise the proposed $1 billion investment and damage the confidence of foreign investors in Pakistan.

KOEN is a subsidiary of the Korea Electric Power Corporation and has been investing in Pakistan’s energy sector since 2011.

The company recently raised the same concerns during a meeting with Federal Minister for Commerce Jam Kamal Khan, stressing the need to remove regulatory obstacles and facilitate progress on the two hydropower projects.

Islamabad | ReNews Pakistan
The Senate Standing Committee on Housing and Works has directed the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) not to launch any new housing projects until all ongoing schemes are completed, following growing concerns over prolonged delays that have affected thousands of allottees, particularly retired government employees.
The committee, chaired by Senator Nasir Mehmood, was informed during its meeting that the Ministry of Housing and Works has imposed a restriction on the initiation of new FGEHA projects until the authority completes its existing developments.
Members of the committee expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of work, noting that none of the authority’s major housing schemes had been completed within the promised timelines. The panel stressed that project delays have undermined public confidence and created financial and administrative hardships for plot owners.
The committee reviewed the status of the Bhara Kahu Green Enclave-I housing scheme, which was launched in 2009. Officials informed lawmakers that only 52 percent of the development work has been completed after more than 17 years.
According to officials from the Ministry of Housing and Works and FGEHA, the project has faced multiple challenges, including prolonged litigation, inquiries by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), land acquisition disputes, issues related to bank guarantees, contractual complications and a sharp increase in construction costs following the COVID-19 pandemic. They added that development work has resumed and several pending matters will be presented before the FGEHA Board for policy decisions.
Representatives of Green Enclave-I allottees also appeared before the committee and highlighted the prolonged uncertainty, financial burden and difficulties faced by plot owners due to repeated project delays.
Senator Nasir Mehmood questioned why contractual arrangements had continued despite years of slow progress and emphasized that thousands of citizens who invested their savings in the scheme deserve timely possession of their plots.
The committee directed that the project's contractor, Dr. Hafeez Abbasi, be summoned at the next meeting to explain the reasons behind the continued delays. It also urged all stakeholders, including the contractor and FGEHA management, to cooperate in resolving outstanding issues and ensuring the early completion of the long-delayed housing project.