Pakistan Launches Feasibility Study for an Int’l Airport in Azad Kashmir

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced the establishment of an international airport in Mirpur.
The project would improve access for over a million UK-based Kashmiri expatriates.
The proposed airport would become Pakistan’s 70th airport.
Known as “Little England” Mirpur has long called for an airport to serve its global community.
ISLAMABAD: In a bid to enhance connectivity for overseas Pakistanis and strengthen ties with global destinations, Pakistan has launched a feasibility study for the establishment of a new international airport.

The study, spearheaded by the Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) government, is focused on the potential creation of an international airport in Mirpur, a vibrant city in AJK.

Mirpur holds particular significance due to its large population of over a million UK-based Kashmiri expatriates, many of whom have long advocated for an airport in the region.

AJK Minister for Physical Planning Yasir Sultan Chaudhry confirmed the initiative, emphasising that the project seeks to address a longstanding local demand and improve access for the city’s residents.

Project picks up pace
Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, during his address to overseas Pakistanis earlier this week, announced the establishment of an international airport in Mirpur.

While the call for an international airport in Mirpur has been heard for some time, it has gained significant momentum recently. Earlier this year, in January, AJK President Barrister Sultan Mahmood Chaudhry underscored the project as a key priority, alongside two other major initiatives.

Addressing diaspora demand
The push for the airport is not just local but international. A group of 20 British lawmakers, led by Labour Member of Parliament (MP) Tahir Ali, recently sent a joint letter to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif urging the development of the airport.

The letter highlights that over a million British Kashmiris reside in the United Kingdom (UK), many of whom have raised concerns with their MPs about the extensive travel time to Kashmir.

Currently, travellers to Mirpur must land at Islamabad International Airport, which is more than 120 kilometres away from the city.

Expanding aviation network
Pakistan currently has a total of 69 airports, including three major hubs in Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore. Six additional medium-sized airports are located in Peshawar, Multan, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Quetta, and Sukkur, while the remaining are classified as smaller airports.

Now, with plans underway for a new international airport in Mirpur, the country is preparing to welcome its 70th addition to the aviation map—an ambitious move that aims to further bridge distances, both within Pakistan and beyond its borders.

‘Little England’
Mirpur city serves as the capital of the Mirpur district in Azad Kashmir. It is the second-largest city of AJK and ranks as the 74th largest city in Pakistan.

A substantial portion of Mirpur’s population, known as the Mirpuri diaspora, migrated to the United Kingdom during the mid-to-late 1950s and early 1960s, predominantly settling in regions such as West Yorkshire, East and West Midlands, Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Luton, Peterborough, Derby, Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Sheffield, and East London.

Due to this large expatriate community, Mirpur has earned the nickname “Little England.” The city is home to a variety of British products, and many of its shops accept the pound sterling, further reflecting the deep-rooted cultural and economic ties with the UK.