NATHIA GALI: Prime Minister Imran Khan today said that his government was fighting a battle to fix the system in the country and ensure rule of law in Pakistan.
He said, “No country can prosper without rule of law”. Prime Minister Imran Khan stated this while addressing the groundbreaking ceremony of a five-star hotel in Nathia Gali.
A subsidiary of international hotels chain Hilton Hotels, the Double Tree by Hilton hotel is being constructed as the first-ever five-star hotel in Nathiagali, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK).
He said the construction of the hotel in Nathiagali is a big step towards creating wealth from tourism, adding that this will attract more people to Pakistan.
The PM said that the next step after the construction of this hotel is the development of resorts and skiing facilities. Pakistan also has great potential for skiing owing to prolonged snowy conditions, he added.
In 2020, the then National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) chairman Sayed Zulfikar Abbas performed the ground-breaking of a five-star hotel in Chitral. The 80-bed hotel, with two restaurants and a hall with a 500-person sitting capacity, is being constructed by an overseas Pakistani.
Biggest asset
Addressing the groundbreaking ceremony, the PM reiterated that overseas Pakistanis are the nation’s biggest asset, saying that these people went abroad due to the country’s “corrupt system” which did not allow them to function here.
He estimated that nine million overseas Pakistanis had income equaling 220 million population of the country, adding that it is important to facilitate them so that they invest back in the country.
The PM further said that the government is pursuing the establishment of a rule of law so that overseas Pakistanis can easily invest without the fear of a corrupt system.
Nathiagali’s first five-star hotel will be built on land belonging to Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) and will be leased to Baron Hotels, Pakistan. It is being built at an approximate cost of $25 million.
Slamming opposition leaders, he said, they did not desire rule of law so they could continue exploiting the corrupt system to their advantage.
The PM Imran Khan lamented that overseas Pakistanis raked in more money and have more skills than their compatriots in the home country but their potential was never tapped.
The previous governments were too focused on their own interests and survival to spare a thought for public welfare, he said, stressing that there is a dire need for wealth creation which would ultimately create employment opportunities, increase tax collection and help pay off the country’s debt.
He called for introducing incentives to attract investment from Pakistani expatriates.
