PM House to host higher learning institute
PM Imran to head oversight committee to monitor progress of the project
PHOTO: PID
ISLAMABAD:
Fulfilling his promise of converting palatial government buildings into structures meant for public use, the premier on Tuesday finalised the use of 14 key government buildings and set deadlines for the respective ministries and government departments to convert them.
With the government having already granted formal approval to convert these buildings into museums, art galleries and parks on September 13, a 12-member oversight committee was formed to monitor progress.
This committee will be headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself so that he can personally monitor progress on the project.
Education minister reiterates govt's plans to turn PM House into university
Moreover, PM Imran on Tuesday wrote to all governors, chief ministers, federal ministers, the provinces and other relevant officers to start work on the project.
The letter proposes that the approximately 1,100 Kanal Prime Minister House will now house an Institute of Higher Learning and a Centre of Excellence. The education ministry and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) have been tasked to complete this conversion project within three to five years.
The two government properties in the Murree hill station, including the Government House at Kashmir Point and the Punjab House at Pindi Point, will be converted into a boutique hotel and a tourist complex respectively. The Punjab government has been directed to complete this task within 45 days through a lease agreement after observing all codal formalities.
Moreover, the Punjab House and the Governor House Annexe in Rawalpindi will be converted into information technology institutes and IT Park/incubation centres respectively within three months by the Punjab government.
In Lahore, the Governor House, the Chief Minister’s Office (in the Freemason’s Hall), Chamba House (federal lodges), and the State Guest House will all be repurposed.
The Governor House will see its main building converted into a heritage museum and an art gallery. Its grounds and zoo will be opened to the public to serve as a park. Its boundary along Mall Road will be torn down and replaced by a fence similar to the one at Bagh-e-Jinnah. The premier has set a six-month deadline for the Punjab government complete this task.
The Chief Minister’s Office, built in the historic Freemasons Hall, will be repurposed as a crafts museum and conference centre. The Punjab government will have a little over six months – 200 days – to effect this change.
The Chamba House — which currently serves as the federal lodge where ministers, legislators and lower grade bureaucrats stay during their visit to the provincial capital — will now host the new governor house, including his office and residence. The Housing and Works ministry will hand it over to the Punjab government for executing the project within 100 days.
The State Guest House— which once hosted heads of state during the inaugural Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) — will be leased out to run like a five-star hotel. The Foreign Ministry has been directed to complete this task within 100 days.
Similarly, in Karachi, a portion of Governor House will be converted into a space for public activity whilst the public would be provided access to its grounds. Remaining portions of the building will be converted into an art and cultural centre. The federal and Sindh governments have been directed to complete this task within 100 days, while the creation of the cultural centre has been set a three-year deadline.
The State Guest House in Karachi can be leased out to the private sector by the Foreign Ministry after completing all codal formalities and use it as a high-end hotel. The project has a 100-day deadline.
The Qasr-e-Naz (federal lodges) will be leased out to a private party for converting it into a five-star hotel because of its prime location and near proximity to other star hotels. The Housing and Works Ministry has been given 100 days to complete the task.
Murree Government House opens its doors to public
The Peshawar Governor House will be converted into a Tribal and National History Museum, a botanical and an art garden with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government set a deadline of three years to complete the task.
The Governor House in Nathiagali will be repurposed as a boutique hotel by leasing it out to the private sector within 100 days.
In Quetta, the main building will be converted into a museum since the city currently lacks such a facility.
Its annexe will be used as an Ethnography Display Museum while its grounds will be converted into a ladies and children’s park with a separate entrance. For this purpose, the Balochistan government has been given a three-month deadline.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2018.
Fulfilling his promise of converting palatial government buildings into structures meant for public use, the premier on Tuesday finalised the use of 14 key government buildings and set deadlines for the respective ministries and government departments to convert them.
With the government having already granted formal approval to convert these buildings into museums, art galleries and parks on September 13, a 12-member oversight committee was formed to monitor progress.
This committee will be headed by Prime Minister Imran Khan himself so that he can personally monitor progress on the project.
Education minister reiterates govt's plans to turn PM House into university
Moreover, PM Imran on Tuesday wrote to all governors, chief ministers, federal ministers, the provinces and other relevant officers to start work on the project.
The letter proposes that the approximately 1,100 Kanal Prime Minister House will now house an Institute of Higher Learning and a Centre of Excellence. The education ministry and the Higher Education Commission (HEC) have been tasked to complete this conversion project within three to five years.
The two government properties in the Murree hill station, including the Government House at Kashmir Point and the Punjab House at Pindi Point, will be converted into a boutique hotel and a tourist complex respectively. The Punjab government has been directed to complete this task within 45 days through a lease agreement after observing all codal formalities.
Moreover, the Punjab House and the Governor House Annexe in Rawalpindi will be converted into information technology institutes and IT Park/incubation centres respectively within three months by the Punjab government.
In Lahore, the Governor House, the Chief Minister’s Office (in the Freemason’s Hall), Chamba House (federal lodges), and the State Guest House will all be repurposed.
The Governor House will see its main building converted into a heritage museum and an art gallery. Its grounds and zoo will be opened to the public to serve as a park. Its boundary along Mall Road will be torn down and replaced by a fence similar to the one at Bagh-e-Jinnah. The premier has set a six-month deadline for the Punjab government complete this task.
The Chief Minister’s Office, built in the historic Freemasons Hall, will be repurposed as a crafts museum and conference centre. The Punjab government will have a little over six months – 200 days – to effect this change.
The Chamba House — which currently serves as the federal lodge where ministers, legislators and lower grade bureaucrats stay during their visit to the provincial capital — will now host the new governor house, including his office and residence. The Housing and Works ministry will hand it over to the Punjab government for executing the project within 100 days.
The State Guest House— which once hosted heads of state during the inaugural Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) — will be leased out to run like a five-star hotel. The Foreign Ministry has been directed to complete this task within 100 days.
Similarly, in Karachi, a portion of Governor House will be converted into a space for public activity whilst the public would be provided access to its grounds. Remaining portions of the building will be converted into an art and cultural centre. The federal and Sindh governments have been directed to complete this task within 100 days, while the creation of the cultural centre has been set a three-year deadline.
The State Guest House in Karachi can be leased out to the private sector by the Foreign Ministry after completing all codal formalities and use it as a high-end hotel. The project has a 100-day deadline.
The Qasr-e-Naz (federal lodges) will be leased out to a private party for converting it into a five-star hotel because of its prime location and near proximity to other star hotels. The Housing and Works Ministry has been given 100 days to complete the task.
Murree Government House opens its doors to public
The Peshawar Governor House will be converted into a Tribal and National History Museum, a botanical and an art garden with the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government set a deadline of three years to complete the task.
The Governor House in Nathiagali will be repurposed as a boutique hotel by leasing it out to the private sector within 100 days.
In Quetta, the main building will be converted into a museum since the city currently lacks such a facility.
Its annexe will be used as an Ethnography Display Museum while its grounds will be converted into a ladies and children’s park with a separate entrance. For this purpose, the Balochistan government has been given a three-month deadline.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2018.