Islamabad: The Senate Standing Committee on Aviation on Thursday stopped the government from privatising or entering into a joint venture for the sale of the Pakistan International Airline (PIA)’s Roosevelt Hotel – located in New York City – during the country’s ongoing coronavirus pandemic phase — a news source reported.
The senate meeting was chaired by Senator Mushahidullah Khan. He questioned the need to do away the hotel when US President Donal Trump and other influential people were looking to buy it. Senator Sherry Rehman also asked the government to inform the committee on how it had arrived at the decision to sell the hotel.
Aviation Secretary Hassan Nasir Jamy informed the committee that the government was no longer looking to sell the hotel, and that the task force formed for the purpose had been de-notified.
Additionally, Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan informed the committee that the Roosevelt Hotel was currently not in a profitable state, and that whatever decision was made in this regard would be made in the best interest of the country.
