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ISLAMABAD: The government on Wednesday approved conversion of several state buildings, including governor houses, into educational institutions, parks, hotels and museums.
The approval was given at a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Imran Khan. Education Minister Shafqat Mehmood, Higher Education Commission chairman Tariq Banori, secretaries of foreign affairs, education, housing and national heritage, chief secretaries of four provinces and other senior officials attended the meeting.
The prime minister reviewed operational costs of governor houses and other state buildings and the losses they were causing to the national exchequer.
The meeting approved conversion of the Punjab Governor House into a public park and its outer wall would be demolished for easy access by the masses. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor House will be turned into a women’s park and a museum.
Committees formed to convert PM House into an international university
The Governor House at Nathiya Gali will become a boutique hotel.
The Governor House in Quetta, which is spread over 25 acres, will also be turned into a public park.
However, more suggestions will be taken for better utilisation of the buildings.
The meeting recommended that state guest houses in Karachi and Lahore be converted into five-star hotels.
The central building of Chamba House, Lahore, will be used in a way to generate funds.
The building of 90-Shahrah-i-Quaid-i-Azam will be converted into a craft museum and a conference hall.
An information technology park will be established in the annexes buildings of Punjab House and Governor House in Rawalpindi.
The meeting recommended that Punjab House, Pindi Point in Murree, be tuned into a university and Government House, Kashmir Point in Murree, will be renovated.
Three committees were formed to convert the Prime Minister House into a big international university and for its functions. The meeting was informed that the last PML-N government had spent Rs600 million on the renovation of Government House, Murree.
Annual losses of Chamba House, Lahore, and Qasr-i-Naz, Karachi, were Rs10m and Rs 20m, respectively.
Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2018
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