Pak: 7-star hotel project may come to an halt

Karachi: The joint project of the Sindh government and the Gulf-based company for the construction of 7-star hotel with the cost of around $1 billion is in jeopardy.

Highly placed sources in the Sindh planning and development department told on Tuesday that due to political uncertainty in the country, the huge investment was likely to be stopped by Gulf-based firm for the proposed project of 7-star hotel at Shahrae Faisal.

They apprised that before December 27, firm was waiting for green signal from the provincial government to start the construction of first ever 7-star hotel in Karachi, but after martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto, the company was seriously pondering to wind up the proposed project before its commencement. They said the think-tank of a firm believed that political instability would create hurdles in the construction of 7-star hotel.

Sources said the firm has thoroughly analysed country's current political condition and thereafter they decided that the 7-star hotel would not be constructed unless the democratic government would not be established in the country.

They said the department received a letter from the company in which they informed the department that 'The construction of hotel will not be started before elections else if company starts project, it would be a chance to bear huge losses in the project.'

Sources in the department said the commencement of a project was now based on country's political stability, which would only be possible after conducting fair and free polls. 'They feared that if it sets out the project before election, the huge investment would be stuck during its construction, besides facing difficulties to continue the project in any untoward situation happened', sources maintained.

They said that Karachi had the capacity to have more four and five-star hotels as the number of foreign visitors and tourists besides official delegations was increasing every year. 'Rooms in all the big hotels in the metropolis are occupied by foreign and local visitors and you have to reserve the room prior to the arrival at the hotel,' they said.

'It shows the urgent need for more luxurious hotels in the city to provide convenient accommodation to the visitors.' It may be mentioned that the Sindh government was inviting investors to build four and five-star hotels in Karachi. A scrutiny committee was also set up with the authority to take up the matter and remove all ditches in this regard.