ISLAMABAD: The executive board of the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority (FGEHA) after revoking its earlier decision has given the goahead signal for the disposal of a seven-star hotel and an international hospital plots located in G-13 through public-private partnership.

Besides the two plots, the FGEHA wants to dispose of its 10 other plots through public-private partnership.

According to documents/minutes issued on May 9, the 40th FGEHA meeting with Housing Minster Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada in the chair revoked its earlier decision and allowed the FGEHA in principle to include public-private partnership as an additional mode along the open auction for the hotel and hospital plots.

Earlier, in its 37th meeting held on December 5, the executive board had decided that these two plots should be disposed of through an open auction.

During the board meeting, sources in FGEHA said that the authority officials pleaded that in compliance with the Prime Minister`s directives and in coordinationwith Public Private Partnership Authority (P3A), efforts were underway to explore long-term investment options, including development of a seven-star hotel in sector G-13 Mauve Area along with other identified commercial properties.

The board was informed that several consultative meetings were held between FGEHA and P3A. The board was told that as a result of the meetings it was recommended that two distinct models for the proposed hotel project would be presented before the board with a request to select one for implementation. However, the board had already approved the open auction mode in its 37th meeting. Therefore, the decision should be revoked, the FGEHA pleaded and presented two models for hotel plot project PPP mode and lease and operate mode.

After hearing the view point of FGEHA, sources said, the board allowed the authority to add the public-private mode as well.

The meeting was also informed that FGEHA had also identified 11 plots located in various areas for public-private partnership mode. The FGEHA pleaded, `this initiative [public private partnership] aligned with authority`s broader mandate topromote community development, stimulate economic activity maximise long term value generation from public assets, read the document.

The 11 plots, which the authority wants to dispose of through public-private partnership included a plot for IT tower in G-13, plot for International Offices Hub/Banks also in G-13, plot for mixed use shopping mall in Sky Line Project Islamabad, plotfor apartment complex Slcy Garden Rawalpindi, mixed use commercial plot t G-13/4, mixed use commercial plot and apartment plot in Chaklala Scheme Rawalpindi, a plot for international school G-14/2, another for mixeduse high-rise tower in Cantt Station Karachi and Constantia Lodge Kashmir Road Murree.

However, the board directed that disposal ofMurree property should be subject to resolution of the ongoing dispute.

It is relevant to note here that the said property is located at a prime place in Murree. The prepartition property is said to belong to a Hindu and Sikh family. After the partition, the property along with land was taken over by Evacuee Trust Property Board.Later on, it was leased out to the Brazilian embassy and in1999, when the building was vacated by the embassy, it was handed over to Public Worl(s Departments of Ministry of Housing.

However, the ministry of housing could not get possession of the property yet because of dispute, as the caretaker of the building Eled several court cases, claiming that they and their forefathers had been living there for over 100 years.