Why Hotels When You Have Belaire, Mr. President?

President Zarari owns one of the choicest properties in the heart of Manhattan, lying empty. And yet he spent thousands of dollars of Pakistani public's money staying at hotels during his official visits to the United States. An opposition politician, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, waved this story during a heated debate in the Parliament today.

By A. Gill & Laura Wells

Thursday, 5 November 2009.

The Nation

WWW.AHMEDQURAISHI.COM

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan—Earlier this year, during his visit to New York, President Asif Ali Zardari stayed in a $6,000 per night Presidential Suite of the Roosevelt Hotel.

The 3,900 square feet suite has 4 bedrooms, a kitchen, formal living and dining areas, and a wrap-around terrace. In addition, he stayed at a $5,000 per night Willard Intercontinental Hotel in Washington DC. Even more money was wasted on the army of ministers and his son who accompanied him.

The question that is raised is why did a President of a country on war, with hundreds of thousands internally displaced refugees, and a country on the verge of defaulting, stay in a $6,000 per night suite? Why couldn’t he stay in a $600 per night luxury suite available at the same hotel; or even better, why couldn’t he stay in his vacant luxury apartment?

To this day, nobody knows the exact nature of Asif Zardari’s assets. TheNation is in possession of over 60 copies of at least one such property’s documents. The authentic copies of the legal property documents have Mr. Zardari’s signature, bank information and other pertinent information available on them.

The property is situated in the posh Upper East Manhattan, New York. The 72nd street to be precise. It’s a luxury apartment on the 37th floor with a stunning view of the river and the city. It is a part of the Belaire Condominiums. These luxury full service condominiums include amenities like a fabulous health club and glass enclosed heated lap pool.

Fit for a king or the President of Pakistan!

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