Information and Broadcasting Minister Senator Shibli Faraz said Tuesday that Pakistan's airports are to be outsourced to international firms and a committee to overlook the relevant process has been formed under Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

Apprising the media of the developments during the cabinet meeting earlier today, Faraz said the first agenda point was a discussion on airports across the country and how to outsource them.

The government, he said, was looking for "any international firm that has experience in operating and managing airports".

This, the minister added, was being carried out in order to bring Pakistan's airports up to international standards and implement and install all those facilities that were available at major airports in key countries around the world and that were a requirement for an airport to be considered as one in accordance with global levels.

The cabinet meeting was informed that some people have already shown interest in the matter.

"However, we are 'separating' it lawfully, wherein there's the PCAA [Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority] that will act as a regulatory authority and a second body corporate. A date has been set for June 30 this year. The legal framework has to be clarified by then so that we can start tendering and we have some progress in that regard with international parties and steps are taken to outsource" the airports, Faraz added.

In this regard, a committee that will fast track the process has been formed under Khan, the federal minister for aviation.

It also includes Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis Zulfiqar Bukhari, the chairperson of the Board Of Investment (BOI), and Babar Awan and Abdul Razzak Dawood, the advisers to PM on parliamentary affairs and commerce, industry, and investment, respectively. "This committee will take the process forward," the minister said.

Shehbaz Sharif name on ECL

Information minister Shibli Faraz addressing to a press conference in Islamabad said that placing PML-N Shehbaz Sharif’s name on Exit Control List (ECL) has been under the consideration of government. 

He vowed that the government would complete its five-year electoral term. Senator Shibli Faraz said that Shahbaz Sharif should answer on the questions raised by the Mirza Shahzad Akbar.

Briefing the media on the decisions taken during today's cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Imran Khan has been briefed in the cabinet that 638 people were found to be recruited illegally in the federal ministries. 

Information Minister said government want water sharing among the provinces and so far Indus River System Authority (IRSA) has not installed telemetry systems on Indus River.