To deal with the financial difficulties the nation is facing at the moment, the Pakistani Prime Minister’s official residence is now welcoming tenants to occupy the place on rent.
The PM’s house has been vacant since Imran Khan chose to vacate the residence in August 2019. The plan was to convert it into a university given its rich heritage. The decision was taken in August 2019 by the ruling party Tehreek-Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). However, following financial crunches, the government withdrew its earlier announcement and took suo moto decision of renting it out, as per a report on Samaa TV.
As per the previous plan, a state-of-the-art federal educational institution was to be established at the Prime Minister’s house. The changed map of events now open doors for people to conduct fashion, educational, cultural, and other programmes at the residence in Red Zone of Islamabad, according to local sources.
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The report on Samaa TV mentioned the creation of 2 committees for the purpose. These teams will ensure the discipline and decorum of the PM’s house are not played with during the events held.
Apart from these events, the federal cabinet is due to hold a meeting for discussing further ways and strategies to generate revenue from the PM’s house. The portions available for rent include the auditorium, a lawn, and two guest wings situated within the building. The former principal workplace of the PM will also be rented out for high-level diplomatic functions and international seminars for students, business professionals, and others.
Soon after taking the oath and getting crowned as Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Imran Khan chose not to stay in the official residence allotted to him. He said the Pakistan government doesn’t have enough money to spend on public welfare schemes as some of the citizens of the country are “living like our colonial masters used to live” despite others suffering. Since then, he is living in his Bani Gala house. Mr Khan only uses the PM’s office for his work-related usage.
Nevertheless, after Imran Khan came to power 3 years back, the Pakistani economy has dropped down by USD 19 billion within this period. He brought many strict actions into motion for allowing finances to flow smoother in the country’s diminishing economic status.
He has faced many taunts and criticism from the opposition including former finance minister Miftah Ismail who smirked that the Imran Khan government was “toying with the economy”. Loans given to government and state institutions had shot up by Rs 45,000 billion, he had added.
