Naqvi Orders Islamabad Hotel Upgrades as Capital Prepares to Host SCO Summit in 2027

ISLAMABAD: Federal Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi has directed authorities to accelerate the completion of under-construction hotels and upgrade existing accommodation in Islamabad ahead of the 2027 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, placing the capital’s hospitality infrastructure at the centre of preparations for the diplomatic gathering.

Chairing a meeting to review progress, Naqvi instructed officials to remain in continuous contact with hotel owners, address their difficulties promptly and take effective measures to bring new properties into operation before the summit.

The meeting also reviewed plans to convert One Constitution Avenue into an international-standard hotel, develop a shopping mall in an adjoining building, improve convention facilities and train workers for the expanding hospitality sector.

Pakistan holds the SCO chairmanship for 2026-27 and will host the organisation’s Council of Heads of State summit in Islamabad in 2027. The Foreign Office has formally confirmed both the chairmanship and the hosting arrangements.

Hotel Construction and Service Standards Receive Priority

Naqvi directed the relevant authorities to ensure that hotels under construction were completed as early as possible before the summit. He also called for special measures to renovate existing hotels and improve their standards.

Officials were instructed to facilitate cooperation between local hotel owners and international hotel chains, with the aim of strengthening accommodation and service quality.

The directives cover both the addition of hotel capacity and improvements to properties already operating in the city. However, the meeting’s account did not specify how many hotels would be completed, how many rooms would become available or which international operators were being approached.

Naqvi also ordered the introduction of specialised courses in collaboration with relevant training institutions, saying preparations should begin immediately to ensure that trained workers were available when new hotels opened.

The initiative connects the construction programme with the practical requirements of running hotels, including staffing, guest services and operational readiness.

January Start Ordered for One Constitution Avenue

The meeting was briefed on the proposed conversion of One Constitution Avenue into an international-standard hotel.

Naqvi said a comprehensive plan was being prepared in consultation with an international hotel chain and directed that construction work begin on January 1 without fail.

The date is a commencement deadline, rather than an announced opening date. The meeting account did not identify the hotel chain, disclose the conversion cost or provide a final room count.

It was also decided that an international-standard shopping mall would be developed in an adjoining building.

The latest directions follow Naqvi’s November 4 announcement that the government had taken possession of One Constitution Avenue and intended to convert it into a five-star hotel, restoring what he described as the project’s original purpose.

A Hotel Proposal with a Long Legal History

One Constitution Avenue has been the subject of a prolonged dispute involving the Capital Development Authority, developer BNP, financial obligations and the rights of apartment purchasers.

The project originated in the auction of a roughly 13.5-acre site in 2005 for approximately Rs4.88 billion. It was conceived as a hotel development, but the subsequent construction and sale of residential apartments became a central feature of the controversy.

The CDA cancelled the lease in 2016. Following litigation, the Supreme Court restored it in January 2019 subject to financial conditions, including payment of Rs17.5 billion over eight years.

The dispute continued over compliance with those conditions. A CDA public notice records a further cancellation on March 8, 2023, for non-payment of premium and dues, and warned against transactions involving the project while litigation was pending.

In 2026, the Islamabad High Court upheld the cancellation in proceedings subsequently challenged by affected parties. Apartment purchasers sought protection against dispossession and relied on earlier Supreme Court directions concerning third-party claims. An appellate bench temporarily suspended the effect of the single-bench decision during those proceedings.

The government separately commissioned an inquiry into the project. Following consideration of its findings by the federal cabinet, ministers announced plans to restore the hotel use and compensate eligible affected purchasers.

Naqvi has said payments would be addressed in accordance with the inquiry report approved by the cabinet. The hotel-conversion announcement does not, however, demonstrate that individual claims have already been assessed or compensation paid.

The redevelopment therefore involves more than construction. Its implementation also requires clarity on purchaser claims, the operating arrangement and the treatment of the existing buildings.

Why the 2027 SCO Summit Matters

The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation brings together China, Russia, Pakistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Pakistan became a full member in June 2017 after holding observer status from 2005.

For Pakistan, the organisation provides a forum for cooperation on regional security, trade, investment, energy and transport connectivity. The Foreign Office identifies closer economic ties and links between South Asia, Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region as important objectives of participation.

Hosting the summit provides an opportunity to advance those priorities through multilateral discussions and engagements with visiting delegations. Such opportunities do not automatically translate into investment agreements; their economic value depends on the decisions reached and subsequent implementation.

Pakistan assumed the rotating chairmanship following the September 2026 summit in Bishkek. Its chairmanship theme centres on translating regional cooperation into action through connectivity, innovation and shared prosperity.

The forthcoming gathering should be distinguished from the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting hosted in Islamabad on October 15–16, 2024. That meeting focused on economic and organisational cooperation. The 2027 event is a Council of Heads of State summit.

Preparations were already under way before the latest meeting. On October 24, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar chaired a follow-up meeting specifically reviewing the summit venue and accommodation options.

Islamabad’s Hotel Challenge Extends Beyond Room Numbers

Islamabad already has internationally branded accommodation, including Serena, Marriott and Mövenpick Centaurus, alongside other hotels and guesthouses. Official hotel listings show an existing mix of accommodation, business facilities and meeting space.

Nevertheless, a major summit requires suitable rooms to be available simultaneously, together with facilities capable of serving delegations with different operational requirements.

The CDA had earlier set a target of securing 4,000 high-standard hotel rooms for the 2027 summit.

That target should not be confused with either the city’s total accommodation inventory or a confirmed number of rooms already reserved.

The minister’s emphasis on renovation, international partnerships and training indicates that the preparations concern service standards as well as new buildings. A completed structure must still be equipped, staffed and commissioned before it can function as a hotel.

International partnerships could provide access to established booking networks, operating systems and training practices. Their value will depend on the agreements reached and the standards delivered, rather than branding alone.

For the wider city, the potential benefit extends beyond the summit. Additional well-run accommodation and meeting facilities could support future conferences, business travel and exhibitions, while creating demand for hospitality workers and local suppliers.

Those benefits remain dependent on sustained demand after the event. The latest meeting did not disclose employment projections, occupancy forecasts or a long-term commercial assessment of the proposed additions.

Convention Facilities Also Under Review

The meeting reviewed progress on the renovation of the Convention Centre and the construction of a new hall.

Naqvi stressed that Islamabad must be fully prepared for the SCO summit and that arrangements should be appropriate for the visiting dignitaries.

The chief commissioner, deputy commissioner and other relevant officials attended.

The immediate task is now to translate the directions into completed hotel rooms, functioning convention facilities and trained staff. For One Constitution Avenue, that will also require an implementation framework addressing the project’s commercial future and the claims arising from its disputed past.