Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Intelligence Bureau (IB) Director General Dr Shoaib Suddle and Interior Minister Rehman Malik, who all needed top security in Washington, were not given a room on the ultra-protected presidential 6th floor of the Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington during President Asif Ali Zardari’s stay. But his security detail of three sepoys, two lance naiks, one Hawaldar and several other officers below the rank of lieutenant general were lodged on the same floor, said a document published by the Pakistan embassy on the visit.
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President Zardari stayed in the $5,000 per night (approximately Rs 410,000) presidential suite, while PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was given a separate suite, which cost $2,600 per night.
Responding to a journalist’s question, a Pakistan embassy official said Zardari’s stay was the cheapest as compared with the past rulers, who spent much more money while staying in hotels in Washington. Moreover, he said, this was the requirement of the hotel that the president should stay at the 6th floor because of security concerns.
He said if other members of the president’s delegation would have been accommodated in another hotel, that would have been objected to by the critics as discrimination. He said the president had come to the sole super power of the world to improve bilateral ties. He said what was spent on the stay of Zardari and his entourage at the hotel matters nothing in view of the gains that this trip had made for the country.
No one without an official security badge (clearance pin) could enter the 6th floor, while entry to other floors was open. The official media team was included in the 62-member delegation of Zardari, but many other journalists were also in Washington at government expense.
A total of 26 rooms were available on the 6th floor (listed rates between $350 and $900 per night) while on the 5th floor, all ministers and the ISI and IB chiefs were accommodated. A total of 22 rooms were listed for the delegation on this floor (same rates as on the 6th floor). A media centre was set up in two lounges — Holmes and Hughes rooms. One room was given free of charge by the hotel as a group discount.
The list of the president’s delegation, published by the Pakistan embassy, gave details of officials of the Foreign Office and other departments, personal staff, security staff and media team.
President Zardari and Bilawal were first and second on the Pakistan embassy’s list. Other officials listed in the order included: Shah Mehmood Qureshi (foreign minister), Nazar Muhammad Gondal (food and agriculture minister), Rehman Malik (interior minister), Qamar Zaman Kaira (information minister), Salman Faruqui (secretary-general to the president), Shaukat Fayyaz Ahmed Tarin (adviser to the prime minister on finance), Farahnaz Ispahani (MNA), Kamal Majidullah (special assistant), Lt-Gen (retd) Syed Athar Ali (secretary defence), Farhatullah Babar (spokesperson for the presidency), Dr Shoaib Suddle, Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Zafar Altaf (PARC chairman) and Ghulam Murtaza Solangi (Radio Pakistan DG).
The personal staff included: Maj-Gen Tasawwar Hussain (personal physician to the president), Brig Mian Muhammad Hilal Hussain (MS to the president), Cdr Amir Saeed (acting deputy MS), Sqn Ldr Malik Jalal Farooq (ADC to the president), Saifullah (protocol assistant) and Mushtaq Ahmed (valet).
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60 people enjoying Arab and American money for nothing and in pakistan people are dying because of hunger.
Extremely Pathetic …… !!!!!
These are the blind people, they can not see the poor people of Pakistan who have nothing to wear even …. !!