Pakistan PM Imran Khan wants to avoid expensive hotels during his US trip to reduce cost: Report

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan wants to stay at Pakistani envoy's official residence in Washington instead of an expensive hotel during his visit to US to reduce cost of trip, a media report has said, amidst an austerity drive by government to solve cash-strapped nation's financial woes.  Khan, after assuming office last year, launched several austerity measures.  

Officials in Islamabad are believed to have informed Pakistan embassy that Prime Minister Khan desires to stay at ambassador's official residence in Washington during his three-day visit to US starting from July 21, Dawn newspaper reported. International Monetary Fund's executive board last week approved a three-year USD 6 billion bailout plan to resuscitate Pakistan's ailing ecomy. But IMF has attached some tough terms for bailout, indicating that government needs to take strict austerity measures. 

While staying at ambassador's residence can considerably reduce cost of visit, Dawn report said that neir United States secret service r city administration appears very receptive to idea, paper said. US secret service takes over security of a visiting dignitary as soon as he or she lands in US while city administration has to ensure that visit does t disrupt Washington's traffic. 

ambassador's residence is in heart of Washington's diplomatic enclave. re are at least a dozen embassies in and around that area, including those of India, Turkey and Japan. A visiting government head holds a number of meetings with US officials, lawmakers and media and think-tank representatives during his stay in Washington. Since residence is t large eugh for all se meetings, Imran Khan will have to meet his guests at Pakistan embassy, commuting through Washington's busy traffic during rush hours. To do so, his entour will have to drive by most of se embassies as well as US vice president's official residence, report said. Some immediate family members of President Trump also live between two locations.

Any closure of street on which ambassador's residence is situated will prevent or residents, including several ambassadors, from travelling to and from ir workplaces during three-day stay of Khan. Security issues force visiting heads of state and government to stay at one of half a dozen hotels that have special arrangement for VVIPs. This makes it easy for US secret service to protect guest. 

But if Pakistan PM still wants to avoid a hotel, he can stay with one of rich Pakistani-Americans in DC suburbs, report said. Most of se houses have high boundary walls and can be easily secured. Staying in a suburb, however, means travelling to Washington every morning and holding all meetings at Pakistan Embassy, it said. This, however, will be ar headache for US secret service, report said.