WASHINGTON: After months of effort, a Pakistan’s historic building in Washington was successfully sold for $7.1 million to a businessman Hafeez Khan. The building had been vacant since 2003.
The new owner of the property is a Pakistani businessman named Hafeez Khan. The government of the District of Columbia downgraded the property classification of the building, which increased the taxes on its assessed value. The local authorities changed the class status of the old and deteriorating building owned by the Pakistani government.
The building, known as the R Street building, was formerly a chancery. It was auctioned in late 2022, and the government received three bids. However, the Pakistani authorities later canceled the bidding process without a reason. The highest bid accepted was $6.8 million, surpassing the pre-auction evaluation benchmark of $4.5 million for the building in its current condition.
The building has remained unoccupied for more than a decade, and its diplomatic status was revoked in 2018, making it subject to local government taxes.
The building had been unoccupied, and its diplomatic status was revoked in 2018, making it subject to local government taxes. A businessman of Pakistani origin named Hafeez Khan purchased the property from the government for $7.1 million.
