MULTAN is Pakistan’s third largest city by area and fifth largest by population. The city is clearly an influential political centre and commercial hub. It is but sad that MNAs and MPAs like Javed Hashmi, Mehmood Qureshi, Hina Rabbani Khar and former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani never tried to improve the Multan International Airport.
I lived in Multan from 1999 to 2003 when my father was posted there. I returned after 15 years, hoping that much would have changed in all these years. But to my surprise little or nothing had changed.
It is very depressing to land at a dull and gloomy airport, especially after coming from a city like Karachi. When you land you can either walk your way from the runway to the arrival lounge or will be carried by a van.
An obsolete luggage conveyer belt churns out your luggage, while you wait in a dull and overcrowded hall rubbing shoulders with other passengers.
The parking area too is quite congested and it is difficult to first park your vehicle and then move out.
Airports are designed to make passengers relaxed, especially those heading to or coming back from long journeys. It is the first place you come across in town before starting your life there. Airports should be refreshing and revitalising to unwind you from travel and not distressing or exhausting.
It is sad that even Yousuf Raza Gilani did nothing for the airport of his hometown when he was the prime minister, what to expect from others!
DR AYESHA MUZZAMIL
Multan
http://dawn.com/2012/07/21/neglected-multan-airport/
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