The Aircraft Owners and Operators Association of Pakistan (AOOA) has expressed strong disapproval in a letter to the Ministry of Defence and Aviation over the sale of Walton Airport land in Lahore.
According to details, the letter penned by AOOA’s General Secretary, Captain (Retd.) Muhammad Nawaz Asim labelled the sale of Walton Airport’s land as violating the rules. The letter stated that the land, valued at approximately 350 billion PKR, was sold against the regulations of the Civil Aviation Authority, exchanging rural land in Muridke for 50 billion PKR.
The letter further emphasized that out of the 50 billion PKR, only 1 billion was deposited into the accounts of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, raising questions about the whereabouts of the remaining funds. It questioned who benefits from this transaction and who is being used as a rubber stamp in this alleged corruption.
Senior lawyer Azhar Siddique shared the AOOA’s letter on social media, highlighting that Walton Airport, worth 350 billion PKR, was sold for just 50 billion PKR.
Senior journalist Asad Kharal revealed that this disclosure was made in a letter from AOOA’s General Secretary to the Minister of Defence and Aviation, Khawaja Asif. Copies of the letter were also sent to the Chairman NAB, DG FIA, the Senate Committee, and the Chairman SIFC.
A user unearthed a clip from a 2021 press conference by the current Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Ataullah Tarar, sharing it to claim that the airport land was sold during Imran Khan’s tenure, accusing PTI members of now trying to scandalize the current government with this issue.
