Calls for lifting ban on liquor at PTDC hotels

Recommendation aimed at enabling govt-run hotels and motels to overcome financial difficulties.


Peer Muhammad October 23, 2010

ISLAMABAD: The Senate’s standing committee on tourism will recommend lifting of a ban on the sale of liquor in government-run hotels and motels, enabling them to overcome financial difficulties.

During a meeting to discuss the privatisation of hotels and motels run by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation(PTDC), Chairperson of the committee Nilofer Bakhtiar said that the move was solely a measure to ease the financial problems of these tourist-oriented units.

She said: “When five-star hotels are allowed to sell liquor, what is the justification for imposing a ban on PTDC motels?”

Bakhtiar cited the example of Rawalpindi’s Flashman Hotel, which was profitable until it was allowed to sell liquor. Since the imposition of the ban two years ago, it has been running in loss, she said.

“If we want to attract maximum number of tourists, we should provide them with a complete set of facilities,” she said. None of the committee members objected to the idea, but there was no consensus either.

Bakhtiar has been a former federal minister for tourism in Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet, who had to tender her resignation amid mounting criticism and a ‘Fatwa’ issued by the Lal Masjid clerics on her controversial parachute jump in Paris.

Earlier, the committee discussed the privatisation of the three PTDC hotels made in the past, including Cecil, Deans and Faletti’s .The committee underlined that the motels were running at a profit until they were privatised and in future, financial positions of state entities will be taken into account before privatising them.

Expressing disappointments over the fact that important institutions like Cecil and Deans were sold at much below their actual value, the committee said that the ministry concerned should have kept national interest above all others.

The committee finally decided to call buyers of Faletti’s Hotel along with officials of the ministries of tourism and privatisation in the next meeting.

The committee also decided to call the buyer of Islamabad’s Nafdec Cinema, and also the owner of Melody Cinema to find out about their problems.

The committee members said that they were more interested in finding out if the buyers of these entities were using these properties in accordance with their agreements with the government.

The committee appreciated the decision made by the Punjab chief minister regarding the termination of entertainment tax on films.

It urged politicians and bureaucrats to work in tandem while privatising national assets. The committee also agreed to direct the finance ministry to reimburse the outstanding amount of Rs14 million to PTDC from the share of the privatisation proceeds of motels along with interest on the money since 1998.

The meeting was attended by senators Waqar Ahmed Khan, Kazim Khan, Rehana Yahya Baloch, Dr Abdul Khaliq Pirzada, Farah Aqil Shah, Pervez Rashid and Javed Ali Shah.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23rd, 2010.

COMMENTS (16)

Ali Zaidi | 13 years ago | Reply http://newsfeed.time.com/2010/11/01/study-pins-alcohol-as-more-dangerous-drug-than-crack-or-heroin/ Wakey wakey!
Sher Ahmed | 13 years ago | Reply those who want the ban to be lifted must be hypocrits @ those who drink should be punished according to islamic laws @ i am a liberal man but i ve never been in favor of prostitution or drinking or any other drugs @ i would like to totally eradicate these things @ stop prostitution and throw all the drugs and alchohal into the sea @ those non-muslims who want to come to this country will not be allowed to bring or drink here @ very simple sorry no alchoholics allowed in this country who cannot live without alchohol @ those who like prostitution will ask them to get married cuz by paying and the money they spend on this every time @ can be used on the marriage and in this way the prostitutes will have no option to come out of the red areas and live a normal life @ those who are addicted to drugs will be taken to rehabilitation hospitals and treatment takes a few months @ 4-6 months max @ those who say this should be legalize should just think for one that what allah said about this and just read the Quran with tranlation and just make sajjda namaz (sallat) @ Quran is not just a book but it is given to all humans to understand and live as per Quran teaching @ Quran is a way of life @ am very sorry to say this but most people are literate and having degrees and PHDs etc but still illiterate @ am sorry if i ve hurt some one feeling @ rememeber Allah forgives just try to be on the right path
VIEW MORE COMMENTS
Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ