Setting an example, while following his initiative of austerity drive, Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed desire to stay at the ambassador’s official residence in Washington’s diplomatic enclave to avoid expenses on luxury hotels.
The premier will land in the US on July 21 for a 3-day official visit and he is expected to meet President Donald Trump along with other officials.
According to the details, the city administration and the secret service are not receptive to the idea of him staying at the ambassador’s residence considering it might disturb the normal routine of the city’s traffic.
With other embassies nearby, the stay might cause a disturbance for the officials of those embassies considering his entourage will have to go through the busy traffic of Washington to hold meetings at the Pakistani embassy. There are a number of high-profile residences along the way between the two places which is the reason why the secret service and the city administration are not in favor of the decision.
The logistics and security issues might prompt Imran Khan and his delegation to stay at VVIP hotels specifically designed for the dignitaries. Some of these hotels include Willard InterContinental, Four Seasons, Wardman Park Marriott, Georgetown, and Ritz Carlton, etc. If he chooses to stay at any of these hotels, it would make life easy for the security teams to protect the dignitary and his delegation.
Another option would be to stay in the suburbs in one of the rich Pakistani-Americans having secured boundary walls, however, Khan and his delegates will have to drive through the busy DC traffic to attend their meetings.
Via Dawn
