Pearl-Continental Hotels & Resorts

Last updated
Pearl Continental Hotels and Resorts Pakistan
Formerly InterContinental Hotels
Company typePublic
PSX:  PSEL
KSE 100 component
Founder Sadruddin Hashwani
Headquarters,
Pakistan
Number of locations
Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Bhurban, Muzaffarabad, Malam Jabba, Swat, Skardu, Hunza and upcoming properties in Mirpur and Multan
Area served
Pakistan
Key people
RevenueIncrease2.svgRs. 13.26 billion (US$46 million) [1]  (2023)
Decrease2.svgRs. 67.77 million (US$230,000) [1]  (2023)
Decrease2.svgRs. -218.27 million (US$−760,000) [1]  (2023)
Total assets Decrease2.svgRs. 64.74 billion (US$220 million) [1]  (2023)
Total equity Decrease2.svgRs. 44.93 billion (US$160 million) [1]  (2023)
Number of employees
1,660 [1]  (2023)
Parent Hashoo Group
Website psl.com.pk
pchotels.com

Pakistan Services Limited, doing business as Pearl-Continental Hotels & Resorts (also abbreviated to PC Hotels), is the largest chain of Premium, Luxury and Select Service hotels in Pakistan with properties in Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Bhurban, Muzaffarabad and Malam Jabba, and under construction in Multan, Attabad Lake, Sukkur, and Mirpur.

Contents

History

Pakistan Services Limited was founded as a state-owned company in 1958. Later, it came under the ownership of Haroon family. [2]

The first Pearl-Continental Hotel in Karachi was inaugurated by President Muhammad Ayub Khan on 10 May 1964 and was the first five-star hotel in Pakistan which hosted various prominent figures from across the globe including Queen Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, and King Hussain of Jordan, among others. Cabin crew from Lufthansa, SAS, and Swissair would stay there during their transits. It was a member of the Leading Hotels of the World for over a decade. [3] [4] A new hotel was built for Lahore and Rawalpindi in 1967 [5] [6] with another branch opening in Peshawar in 1975. [7]

In 2021, Hashoo group also launched a chain of four-star hotels under the brand name PC Legacy. [8] The PC Legacy Naran is functional and operating in Naran and another opened in Nasirabad, Hunza in 2023. [9] [ relevant? discuss ]

Incidents

In 1971, when the Pearl-Continental (or Khyber Intercontinental at the time) construction was initiated in Peshawar, workers digging underground to form its foundation discovered old human, elephant and horse bones. Archaeologists discovered that the Hotel was the site of a fierce battle between the armies of Mahmud of Ghazni and Jayapala in the Battle of Peshawar in the year 1001. [10]

On 11 May 2019, at least eight people including four hotel employees, one soldier and three terrorists were killed in a terror attack targeting the Pearl Continental in Gwadar, Balochistan, Pakistan. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15]

On Thursday night 26 May 2022, the roof of the 5-star property collapsed at Karachi's Pearl-Continental Hotel. [16] According to the reports one person was killed and three others injured after the ceiling of the five-star hotel caved in on top of them. The incident occurred inside the Marco Polo Hall at the hotel where an event was under way. [17]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Transport in Pakistan</span>

Transport in Pakistan is extensive and varied. In recent years, new national highways have been built, with the addition of motorways which have improved trade and logistics within the country. Pakistan's rail network is also undergoing expansion in recent years. Airports and seaports have been built with the addition of foreign and domestic funding. Transportation challenges in Pakistan are escalating due to poor planning, inadequate governance, and corrupt practices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Railways</span> Pakistani state-owned railway company

Pakistan Railways is the national, state-owned railway company of Pakistan with its headquarters in Lahore. Founded in 1861 as the North Western State Railway and headquartered in Lahore, it owns 7,789 kilometres of operational track across Pakistan, stretching from Peshawar to Karachi, offering both freight and passenger services, covering 480 operational stations across Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Former administrative units of Pakistan</span>

The former administrative units of Pakistan are states, provinces, and territories which mainly existed between 1947 and 1975 when the current provinces and territories were established. The former units have no administrative function today, but some remain as historical and cultural legacies. In some cases, the current provinces and territories correspond to the former units – for example the province of Punjab includes almost all the territory of the former province of West Punjab.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Tourism Development Corp</span> Organization of Government of Pakistan to promote tourism

Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation is an organization of the Government of Pakistan. PTDC is governed by the Board of Directors and provides transportation to various areas and owns and runs several motels across the country. It was incorporated on 30 March 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Balochistan Liberation Army</span> Baloch militant group based in Pakistan

The Balochistan Liberation Army is a Baloch ethnonationalist militant organization based in the Baluchistan region of Afghanistan. Operating primarily from safe havens scattered across southern Afghanistan, BLA perpetrates attacks in neighboring Pakistan's Balochistan province, which it seeks to remove from Pakistani sovereignty. It frequently targets Pakistan Armed Forces, civilians and foreign nationals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tourism in Pakistan</span>

Tourism in Pakistan is a growing industry. In 2010, Lonely Planet termed Pakistan "tourism's 'next big thing'". The country is geographically and ethnically diverse, and has a number of historical and cultural heritage sites. Condé Nast Traveller ranked Pakistan The Best Holiday Destination for 2020 and also declared it the third-highest potential adventure destination in the world for 2020. As security in the country improves, tourism increases; in two years, it has increased by more than 300%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hashoo Group</span> Pakistani business conglomerate

Hashoo Group, also known as Hashwani Group, is a group of companies headquartered in Karachi. It is active in hospitality, oil and gas sectors. It was founded in 1960.

The Pearl Continental hotel bombing occurred on 9 June 2009 in Peshawar, Pakistan, in which 17 people were killed and at least 46 people injured. The blast occurred at the five-star Pearl Continental hotel in the city. The force of the explosion caused the hotel to partially collapse. Gunman also attacked the hotel, firing several shots at survivors. The United States had planned to purchase this hotel to convert it to a consulate.

In 2009, Pakistan suffered 50 terrorist, insurgent and sectarian-related incidents that killed 180 people and injured 300.

This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2012. Pakistan has faced numerous attacks by insurgents as a result of the ongoing War in North-West Pakistan by the Pakistani military against militant groups, part of the War on Terror. At the same time, there have also been numerous drone attacks in Pakistan carried out by the United States which exclusively target members of militant groups along the Afghan border regions.

This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2014.

This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2016. Pakistan was the 10th most dangerous country by criminality index in 2016.

Operation Radd-ul-Fasaad was a combined military operation by the Pakistani military in support of local law enforcement agencies to disarm and eliminate the terrorist sleeper cells across all states of Pakistan, started on 22 February 2017. The operation aimed to eliminate the threat of terrorism, and consolidating the gains of Operation Zarb-e-Azb which was launched in 2014 as a joint military offensive. It was further aimed at ensuring the security of Pakistan's borders. The operation underwent active participation from the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Police and other Warfare and Civil Armed Forces managed under the Government of Pakistan. More than 375,000 intelligence-based operations had been carried out as of 2021. This operation has been mostly acknowledged after Operation Zarb e Azb.

Several violent incidents happened before and on the day of the 2018 Pakistani general election, held on 25 July 2018.

Terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2019 include:

The 2019 Quetta bombing was a suicide bomb attack on an open marketplace in Quetta, Pakistan on 12 April, killing 21 people. The bombing took place near an area where many minority Shiite Muslims live. At least ten Hazara, including nine Shiites, were among the dead. Two paramilitary soldiers were also killed in the bombing. PM Imran Khan expressed condolences for the lives lost, directed the authorities to ensure the best medical treatment for the injured, and ordered an increase in security for Shiites and Hazara people. Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and ISIL later accepted responsibility for the attack, stating that "their target were Hazara people."

Pakistan Super League (PSL) is the highest level of domestic Twenty20 cricket in Pakistan. The league is owned by the Pakistan Cricket Board and its first season was played in 2016. The league, when it started, included five teams: Karachi Kings, Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi, Islamabad United, and Lahore Qalandars. The third season of the league in 2018 saw the inclusion of Multan Sultans as the sixth team to compete in the tournament. The league has been organized every year since its first season and all the teams have won the trophy at least once. The first season of the PSL was won by Islamabad United, who were captained by Misbah ul Haq, who was also the captain of the Pakistan national cricket team at that time. Lahore Qalandars are the current champions of the PSL.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "PSL Annual Report 2023" (PDF). psl.com.pk. Retrieved 30 November 2023.
  2. Levin, Sergey (1974). "The Upper Bourgeoisie from the Muslim Commercial Community of Memons in Pakistan, 1947 to 1971". Asian Survey. 14 (3): 231–243. doi:10.2307/2643012. JSTOR   2643012.
  3. "Pearl Continental Hotel Karachi". www.pchotels.com. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  4. "Luxury hotels plan expansion in Pakistan". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2016-06-18.
  5. Web Archive taken from original
  6. Original taken from Archive
  7. Archive from Original
  8. "Hashoo Group To Launch PC LEGACY Hotel In Hunza". The Nation. 26 Feb 2021. Retrieved 14 July 2022.
  9. "CEO of Hashoo Group unveils PC Legacy Nasirabad Hunza". The Nation. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 29 March 2024.
  10. Dawn (2017) Pakistan: The lesser-known histories of an ancient land by Nadeem F. Paracha
  11. "Armed militants storm luxury hotel in Pakistan attack". The Guardian. 11 May 2019.
  12. "5 people killed in Gwadar PC hotel attack; army concludes clearance operation". Dawn. May 12, 2019.
  13. "Pakistan attack: Gunmen storm five-star hotel in Balochistan". BBC. 12 May 2019.
  14. "Pakistan military says five killed in hotel attack in Gwadar". Al Jazeera. 12 May 2019.
  15. "Gwadar PC operation. Security Forces have completed clearance operation at PC Gwadar". www.ispr.gov.pk. Retrieved 2019-05-26.
  16. "PEARL CONTINENTAL HOTEL ROOF COLLAPSES". ARY NEWS. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  17. "Death toll in Karachi's Pearl-Continental Hotel roof collapse rises to two". Dawn News. Retrieved June 18, 2022.