Pakistan PM House to be converted into educational institution

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government has decided to convert the palatial PM House into an educational  institution, Minister for National History and Literary Heritage Division Shafqat Mehmood said Thursday.

Prime Minister Imran Khan chaired a briefing on reuse of heritage buildings, at the Prime Minister’s Office here on Thursday. The minister briefed the PM about the progress made so far on the proposed reuse plan of heritage buildings.

Later, briefing the media on the decisions taken by the government, he said following the 100-Day agenda of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, the government is transforming Governor House-Murree into a Trust Complex as well as Punjab House and Governor House-Rawalpindi into educational institutions respectively.

The Governor House in Lahore will be turned into a museum and art gallery, it's park will be open for public, he added. Hall located on 90 Shahrah will be made convention centre and the Chamba House will operate as Governor Office.

Mehmood also informed about considerations regarding turning the Governor House in Karachi into a museum. 

“We will consult the Sindh government on the matter,” he said. 

Talking about the Governor Houses in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mehmood said, they will be turned into museums, whereas the Governor House in Nathia Gali will be made into a state-of-art resort.

Decisions related to other government offices will be taken later, he added.

In his maiden speech to the nation on August 19, PM Khan had said that there were 524 persons to serve the prime minister at the 1100-Kanal PM House, coupled with 80 cars, including 33 bulletproof ones having price of Rs 50 million each, besides helicopters and an aeroplane.

He also mentioned the huge and luxurious state buildings like governor houses, CM houses, rest houses, residences of secretaries, commissioners, DCs etc.

“At one hand the nation was burdened with debt and on the other, we have the elite. This system was created by the British during the colonial era to rule the masses, but even after independence the same practice was being followed,” Imran Khan remarked.