KARACHI, PAKISTAN: The owner of Crowne Plaza Norwest in Sydney, Minhas Zulfiqar, has been murdered in Pakistan.
According to media reports, Sydney-based Zulfiqar was gunned down and robbed after taking out money from a cash machine in Karachi, a city where he also owned several shops.
InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) released a statement yesterday (Mar 21) and said staff were still in shock at the tragic news.
“We were deeply saddened to learn this morning that Minhas Zulfiqar, the managing director and co-owner of Crowne Plaza Norwest Sydney, passed away (on Wednesday) evening in Pakistan,” Ajay Khanna, general manager of Crowne Plaza Norwest Sydney and Steven Skarott, IHG Australasia’s regional director franchise performance, said in the statement.
“The circumstances surrounding his passing are currently being looked into by local authorities, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as well as the Australian High Commission.
“Those of us who were fortunate to know Minhas would agree he was a generous and well-loved member of the local community.
“In particular, Minhas’ dedication to philanthropy has made him a highly respected individual, recognised by his peers from the travel and tourism industry, and the people he worked with.
“Mihas had been actively involved in the ownership and management of the Crowne Plaza Norwest Sydney for over a decade.
“He played a crucial role in the success of this hotel, and when Crowne Plaza Sydney Norwest was awarded Australia’s Best Midscale Hotel by Tourism Accommodation Australia last year, Minhas couldn’t have been more proud.
“The thoughts of all of us at IHG are with Minhas’ family, who are still in Pakistan, as such we respect their privacy during this difficult time. He will be very much missed and remembered by those whose lives he had touched,” Khanna and Skarott said.