Peshawar  -  Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Faisal Karim Kundi, has formally urged Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to rename the New Islamabad International Airport as Benazir Bhutto International Airport, honoring the slain former premier.

In a letter addressed to the office of the Prime Minister of Pakistan on Monday, Governor Faisal Kundi emphasized that the old Islamabad airport was originally named Benazir Bhutto International Airport on June 21, 2008, following her assassination in December 2007. However, in April 2018, the Aviation Division renamed the newly constructed airport as New Islamabad International Airport, removing the Benazir Bhutto name.

Kundi argued that naming major airports after national leaders is a global tradition, citing examples such as Jinnah International Airport in Karachi, Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, Sheikh Zayed International Airport in Rahim Yar Khan, Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport in Sukkur, and others.

He further said that restoring the name would recognize Bhutto’s contributions and sacrifice for Pakistan’s democracy. Given that the old Islamabad airport has now been converted into a Technology Park, it is even more significant to revive the original name for the current international airport, he added. The Governor urged the Prime Minister to take immediate action in response to public demand and direct the relevant authorities to implement the change.

Ramazan relief package distributed to Kurram TDPs

A ceremony was held at the Governor House in Peshawar to distribute Ramadan relief packages for the temporarily displaced persons (TDPs) of Kurram district. The event was attended by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi as the chief guest, along with Imran Wazir Advocate, Chairman of the Red Crescent for the merged districts, Vice Chairman Farzand Wazir, and other officials.

During the ceremony, Governor Kundi handed over the relief packages from the Sindh government and the Local Council Association Sindh to the Red Crescent for the merged districts.

The Ramazan package weighs 28 kilograms and includes essential food items such as wheat, rice, sugar, lentils, cooking oil, tea, salt, and powdered milk.

The total cost of the relief package is Rs20 million, with Rs10 million contributed by the local government of Sindh. The aid will be distributed among 1,584 families in Kurram district, including 884 families in Upper Kurram and 700 families in Lower Kurram.

Speaking at the event, Governor Kundi expressed gratitude to Sindh Chief Minister and Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for their support.

He said that the relief package has been prepared to provide essential food supplies for 15 days and will be distributed where needed. The Governor also highlighted ongoing security efforts in Kurram, including the demolition of bunkers, to restore peace in the region.

He urged philanthropists to come forward and support the affected families during this challenging time.