Govt seeks to quash ‘rumours’ about The Roosevelt

Faraz says cabinet receives detailed briefing on the national asset; hotel’s debt paid off

ISLAMABAD:

Information Minister Shibli Faraz denied on Tuesday all “rumours” that the government has sold off the Pakistan International Airline (PIA)-owned Roosevelt Hotel in New York amid the top anti-graft body’s announcement that it will investigate the closure of the hotel and losses borne by the government.

In the post-cabinet meeting press briefing, the government’s spokesperson revealed that the government had paid off all the loans owed by the hotel to JP Morgan Bank and “taken full ownership of the national asset”.

“There were rumours and false news being spread that the government has sold the Roosevelt Hotel,” the minister said. “We haven’t sold the Roosevelt Hotel; instead taken full ownership of the hotel by paying off the $129,000 loan owed by the hotel to JP Morgan.”

During the cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Faraz said the ministers were given a detailed briefing on the financial situation of the hotel, which he added, was running in constant financial deficit. He added if the timely decisions were not taken by the government, “Pakistan would have lost its asset”.

The official statement released following the cabinet meeting also stated that the government has paid over $100 million. In the press conference, Faraz said that the government will take care of “national asset” in the best possible manner.

Referring to the camp offices of the president and the prime minister at government’s expense at different places, Faraz said that the meeting was informed that the cabinet had earlier decided the president and the prime minister would be allowed to have only one camp office.

In this regard, Faraz said, the prime minister directed that a limit should be set on the expenditure incurred on the camp office to ensure proper utilisation of the public money. Subsequently, the cabinet directed for a review of the expenditure and concessions incurred by former presidents and prime ministers in this regard.

In the press conference, Faraz lambasted former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and former president Asif Zardari for establishing several camp offices and deploying a large number of the law enforcement staff at the expense of the national exchequer at different places.

Responding to a question about government’s reaction to the opposition parties’ upcoming rallies, Faraz said that the government was least bothered about the rallies organised under the banner of the newly-formed alliance of the opposition parties – the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

Faraz said that people have already rejected them; the opposition does not have a moral standing to hold rallies; they are trying to create chaos to get some relief; and the whole struggle was to save the “looted money” and hide their corruption.

“We did not even discuss about it in the cabinet meeting,” he said, adding the opposition parties were using Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the Maulana was using them. “Last time, the PML-N and the PPP ditched Maulana,” he said.

Calling Sharif a “hypocrite”, Faraz said that the PML-N supremo along with his children is sitting in London and wants children of others to come on the roads in protest against the government. He also criticised the Sindh government, saying that earlier it was in favour of imposing strict lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19 but now it is set to hold rallies.

Faraz also informed the journalists that the cabinet also discussed about the measures to reduce inflation and food prices, saying comprehensive measures were being taken to control inflation and commodity prices will sharply fall in the coming days. “The problem of inflation will be solved in the coming days as a result of government measures,” he assured.

On wheat, Faraz said that recent rains damaged wheat crop in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but the country has sufficient stock in reserves. But he alleged that the Sindh government deliberately blocked release of wheat. “Prices went up due to untimely release of wheat by the Sindh government,” he said.

Among other things, the cabinet appreciated the performance of the Punjab government and the law enforcement agencies in arresting the main culprit of the motorway gang rape case and called for more effective legislation to prevent such horrific crimes.

Meanwhile, the cabinet also approved the proposal to send relief goods in view of the devastation caused by rains and floods in Niger.