Sialkot (Web Desk): Prime Minister Imran Khan on inaugurated a private airline Air Sial in Sialkot on Wednesday.
Addressing a gathering of business community after the inauguration ceremony, the premier congratulated the business community of Sialkot for building an airport and launching an airline with their own resources.
Air Sial, the third private airline of Pakistan with its current fleet of three Airbus A320-200s, will operate flights to and from Sialkot, Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.
The airline is the brainchild of members of the Sialkot Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) who launched the project after the success of their earlier initiative, the Sialkot International Airport Ltd.
Air Sial was granted permission to run its operations by the Aviation Division in 2017. It also plans to launch flights to foreign destinations.
The prime minister said that the government will extend full facilitation to the business community for industrialization and enhancement of exports.
“Industrialization and increase in exports will lead to wealth creation and enhancement of foreign exchange reserves,” the PM said.
Imran Khan expressed confidence that Sialkot, Gujranwala and Gujrat will become a key region of exports in the country.
The premier assured that hurdles in the way of promotion of businesses will be removed.
He said special steps are being taken to encourage Small and Medium Enterprises, the Radio Pakistan reported.
Referring to China's model of inclusive development, Imran Khan said the biggest objective of his government is to uplift the living standard of the poor and bring backward areas at par with other parts of the country.
“Special focus is being laid on the less developed regions such as Balochistan, merged districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan,” the PM said.
About the Covid-19 challenge, Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan was one of the few countries that better handled the pandemic in its first phase.
“Government's policy of protecting the lives and livelihood of people proved quite effective,” the premier noted.
PM Imran urged people to follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) so that the pandemic could be overcome.
He regretted that the opposition that had been criticizing the government for not observing complete lockdown is not holding public gatherings.