May 10, 2006	Wednesday	Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1427

ISLAMABAD, May 9: The Privatisation Commission (PC) has received nine expressions of interest (EoIs) from parties/ groups to own and run a five-star hotel on a prime land at Shahrahe Quaid-i-Azam, Lahore, which is presently known as Services International Hotel (SIH) with an area of 15 kanals and four marlas.

The parties which submitted EoIs include: Associated Group, Lahore; Bahria Town (Pvt) Ltd, Rawalpindi; Hashwani Hotels Ltd; Marwat Enterprises (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore; Regent Plaza, Karachi; SA Builders, Lahore; Tri Star Group, Islamabad; Noor Financial Investment Company, Kuwait; and Consortium of Sapphire Textile Mills Limited, Lahore.

The available clear title of the land is in the name of Punjab Cooperatives Board for Liquidation (PCBL) to operate a hotel. The bidders for the land shall undertake to commence construction and operate a high-rise state-of the-art five-star hotel in an agreed time frame.