Pak's diplomatic property on sale in US, second-highest bid comes from an Indian realtor

A building in the US capital that was once used to conduct defence operations for the Pakistani embassy is now up for sale and has received three bids. According to Dawn, the highest bid of nearly 7 million dollars came from a Jewish group that wanted to convert the building into a synagogue. The second-highest bid of $5 million came from an Indian realtor, and the third bid came from a Pakistani realtor who wanted to purchase the infrastructure for $4 million. Notably, the building has not been used in the last 22 years.

As per reports, American-based Pakistanis in the real estate market want the building to be sold to the highest bidder.

"We should follow this tradition, also because it will create a lot of goodwill in an influential American community, which wants to use it as a place of worship," said a Pakistani realtor, on condition of anonymity.

Building that once housed defence section of Pakistan is up for sale in Washington

The Pakistani embassy in Washington had told Dawn earlier this month that one of Pakistan's three diplomatic properties in Washington was up for sale on R Street NW. However, the Pakistan embassy earlier cleared that neither the country's new nor the old embassies were being sold. Notably, the building on R Street housed the Pakistan embassy's defence section for 50 years, from the 1950s to the early 2000s.

The privatisation commission was asked on Monday by Pakistan’s Cabinet Committee to appoint a financial adviser to lease the Roosevelt Hotel site in New York. The meeting was chaired by the Finance Minister, Ishaq Dar. Meanwhile, Pakistani officials have consulted an appraiser to suggest whether the building should be renovated before being sold. "We are in no hurry, and we will conclude a deal only if it benefits Pakistan," the embassy official said. It is worth mentioning that the country’s cabinet has given the go-ahead for the sale.

Image: AP/Representational