KARACHI: The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City, owned by Pakistan’s national carrier, announced on Thursday it would shut down on October 31, citing “economic impacts.”
The hotel opened on September 23, 1924 and was leased by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) in 1979, with an option to purchase the building after 20 years, which it did in 1999.
“Due to the current economic impacts, after almost 100 years of welcoming guests to The Grand Dame of New York, the Roosevelt Hotel is regretfully closing its doors permanently as of Oct 31, 2020,” an announcement posted on the hotel’s website said.
Government officials said the hotel would not be sold off but its share might be floated.
“No decision has been made as the financial advisor is hired,” Muhammad Bashir Khan, parliamentary secretary for privatization, told Arab News. “Will give shares but the ownership will remain with the government. Renovation work is being done and it will be reopened.”
Khurram Shahzad, a members of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly on Privatization, said a meeting would be held on Monday to “decide about the future plan for the hotel.”
On July 2, 2020, the Cabinet Committee on Privatization held a meeting on the privatization of Roosevelt Hotel, directing the privatization commission to hire a financial adviser to start the privatization process in the light of a report by Ms Deloitte which recommended, “that the highest and best use of the Roosevelt Hotel Property is to redevelop the site into a mixed use (through Joint Venture) of primarily office tower over retail and condominium.”
PIA officials say the Roosevelt hotel has remained profitable throughout its history and suffered a loss of $1.5 million last year.
In September this year, the government had approved up to $142 million to meet the hotel’s financial challenges.
After 100 years, PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel in New York to shut on Oct 31
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After 100 years, PIA’s Roosevelt Hotel in New York to shut on Oct 31
- The hotel opened in 1924 and was leased by Pakistan International Airlines in 1979 and bought by the company in 1999
- Meeting to be held on Monday to “decide future plan for the hotel” which PIA does not plan to sell, officials say
Pakistan to launch last 2025 anti-polio nationwide drive targeting 45 million children next week
- Over 400,000 frontline health workers will participate in Dec. 15-21 nationwide polio vaccination campaign, say authorities
- Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world, the other being Afghanistan, where wild poliovirus remains endemic
KARACHI: Pakistan will kick off the last nationwide anti-polio vaccination campaign of 2025 targeting 45 million children next week, the National Emergencies Operation Center (NEOC) said on Monday, urging parents to coordinate with health workers during the drive.
The campaign takes place days after Pakistan launched a nationwide vaccination drive from Nov. 17-29 against measles, rubella and polio. Pakistan said it had targeted 22.9 million children across 89 high-risk districts in the country with oral polio vaccination drops during the drive.
Over 400,000 health workers will perform their duties during the upcoming Dec. 15-21 nationwide polio vaccination campaign, the NEOC said in a statement.
“Parents are urged to cooperate with polio workers and ensure their children are vaccinated,” the NEOC said. “Complete the routine immunization schedule for all children up to 15 months of age on time.”
Health authorities aim to vaccinate 23 million children in Punjab, 10.6 million in Sindh, over 7.2 million in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, over 2.6 million in Balochistan, more than 460,000 in Islamabad, over 228,000 in Gilgit-Baltistan and more than 760,000 children in Pakistan-administered Kashmir during the seven-day campaign, it added.
Pakistan is one of only two countries in the world where wild poliovirus remains endemic.
Polio is a highly infectious and incurable disease that can cause lifelong paralysis. The only effective protection is through repeated doses of the Oral Polio Vaccine for every child under five during each campaign, alongside timely completion of all routine immunizations.
Islamabad’s efforts to eliminate poliovirus have been hampered by parental refusals, widespread misinformation and repeated attacks on anti-polio workers by militant groups. In remote and volatile areas, vaccination teams often operate under police protection, though security personnel themselves have also been targeted and killed in attacks.
