Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has headed to an old favoured haunt, the Whispering Hills Rest House in Bahawalpur, seeking a break from the business of state.
A close aide told The Express Tribune that the premier has been visiting the rest house since the 1980s, first vacationing there when he was sports advisor the then Punjab governor, Mian Ghulam Jilani. His itinerary includes a hunt in the Cholistan desert and an open-air dinner, accompanied by local music.
On Wednesday afternoon, the prime minister and a tight-knit circle of friends and party office-bearers lunched at the resort. Established in 1989, Whispering Hills is located in Lal Suhanra National Park, one of the largest in Pakistan.
The resort, built by Nawaz, was initially private but later opened to the public. Its grounds include an artificial lake, a boating facility and lush trees. An aide to the prime minister said he preferred vacationing here instead of travelling outside Pakistan.
During his visit, Nawaz is joined by friends and local politicians as well as princes from Gulf states camped in the desert during hunts. Hunts include the nilgai, deer, urial, chinkara and blackbuck.
District police officers of Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan, and Rangers are providing security for the three days. PML-N’s Parliamentary Secretary on Information Rana Muhammad Arshad said Nawaz will meet representatives of South Punjab during the trip before returning on Friday.
Earlier Sharif spent the day in Bahawalpur seeing various development projects, including the Quaid-e-Azam Solar Park, the coal-based power plant at Rahim Yar Khan and the Nuclear Power Plant at Ahmedpur Shirqia.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 6th, 2014.
COMMENTS (63)
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Yes!! the nation deserves this break from him....
@Altaf Baaai: He must if he has to keep the strength to go on. He is just a human like you and me, not Hercules of the Greek legend.
@longislander:
Of course you don't because that is all your leader does too.
The PM is setting a good example to spend vacations in Pakistan, unlike Zardari who used to visit UK every summer or Musharraf who used to go to USA for vacations. We should promote domestic tourism to boost the economy of Pakistan. Long Live Pakistan!
I am a PTI supporter and I think there is nothing wrong in taking vacations. Everyone deserves a vacation. I am actually impressed by NS that he aint vacationing out of Pakistan.
I wonder what media would have done if it was PPP Prime Minister or Mr. Zardari.
Possibly he'll do some work in Bhawalpur, after 4-5 months of holidays or so it seems.
Why does he need a vacation and that too at Bahawalpur? I thought Lahore, Rawalpindi and Islamabad are vacation spots, when compared to Karachi, Peshawar, Quetta which continue to burn.
Dont know to laugh or to cry.
Nilgai, deer, urial, chinkara and blackbuck are all endangered species in Pakistan. This is called poaching and should be stopped henceforth. He can take the royal Arab clan to Raiwind for hunting of some other kind. This is preposterous and uncivilized to kill innocent animals just to please Arab friends. Animals have the right to live as much as we humans.
every body needs break.there is no harm in it.
Something in this article reminds me a lot of Emperor Nero playing the fiddle while Rome was burning.
Rich rulers of a poor country .
Although i am PTI supporter but i will say: Good Vacations. This is your right.
While Rome burns....
So he's tired after 7 Months of work Only!!! Look at people saying Good he's staying in Pakistan for vacation. Forgot that he has already been to seven countries in 6 Moths !!!
Nero was playing the flute when Rome was burning....
Emperor Nero fiddled while Rome burned! A fitting comparison!!!
picture says it all :)
His Majesty is taking a vacation while the country is dying. Bravo.
After 3 months he visited parliament house and now he is on leaves again.
So happy for PM, as the country is finally out of all problems, the Taliban's wanting implementation of Sharia in land of pure, no poverty, unemployment, no light even in winters, no gas, no CNG, it sure seems like a nice break after some serious work done !
Very naughty ET.... you know what you're doing!
well deserved
Everyone needs a break. Hope he stays connected with dialogue and plethora of problems back home.
he deserves it after solving all of Pakistan's issues. :)
Well, he built it himself. At least he is not burning dollars in Switzerland. Good.
What is he doing to deserve such "breaks"?
During his visit, Nawaz is joined by friends and local politicians as well as princes from Gulf states camped in the desert during hunts. Hunts include the nilgai, deer, urial, chinkara and blackbuck. Whatever precious little wildlife we have in Pakistan will be wiped out with this outrageous and inhuman hunting of wild animals. All mentioned animals are endangered and facing extinction. This royal Mughal attitude need to be done away with. If this is happening in the west there would be a hue and cry from the civil society about a very uncivilized and brazen act to kill innocent animals who have the rights to live s much as we humans have. Hope WWF and the local animal rights organizations and the civil society will take notice of this animal genocide.
nilgai,urial, chinkara and blackbuck are endangered species. How can any body kill them for fun ?
So the Prime Minister is allowed to hunt nilgai, deer, urial, chinkara and blackbuck while it is illegal for the common citizens of this country. Why the double standards?
well well well.... country burning and the ordinary folk with no security, hyperinflation, no energy and each day worse than the previous and he deserves abreak from tiring routine.... anywhere else in a democratic world it would be considered scandolous.
Well, good to know at least he's vacationing in the country. How about less foreing tours and more staying at home, and provide some leadership?
he need that time
Well, I am a critic of NS but this is good for PM to have at least few days from the job to maintain his health... more information needs to be shared.
Also, he must avoid hunting rare birds and animals... and make sure these wildlife in Bahawalpur is protected.
Our future Amir al-Mu'minin deserves a break from managing the affairs of the state.
Yes, he has very tiring routine. I can see he has lost some weight too, has he....
Does our PM really has time for vacationing after such turmoil in the country?!