A media report tells us that government of Pakistan shall we say the Prime Minister is considering the sale of Pakistan Chancery, 34-36 Lowndes Square, London. It is a mystery as to who floated this heinous idea. Sartaj Aziz's and Tariq Fatemi's names are being mentioned who are advocating the sale. Fortunately, the Privatisation Commission is against the sale.
Pakistan has a long history of selling its embassies. The first was Pakistan's embassy building in Jakarta and the second was Pakistan's embassy in Tokyo. Both sales were made during General Pervez Musharraf's regime. At home, Shaukat Aziz, the then prime minister, sold the headquarters of Pakistan Central Cotton Committee (PCCC) and Pakistan Institute of Cotton Research and Technology (PICRT) (area approx 20,000 Sq. Yds) to the US.
The sale price is reportedly Rs 65 crores. Considering the location - junction of M. T. Khan Road and Mai Kolachi by-pass, the price should have been Rs 165 crores. Was there any siphoning-off money? A few weeks back, CDA submitted a summary to PM seeking his permission to convert NARC's Agricultural Research Farm into a housing society but the Chief Justice's suo motu action stopped this.