ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): The Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), under the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has signed a 100-year partnership with a private consortium for developing Pakistan’s first purpose-planned mountain destination at Thandiani Top.
According to media reports, the agreement is bound by an eco-conservation framework designed to protect Thandiani’s natural beauty, as it becomes a world-class tourist destination.
The master plan of the project is currently under preparation by a leading international architect firm.
Thandiani a four-season mountain destination
‘Above Zero’ will operate as a four-season mountain destination, and a new model for mountain living in Pakistan and prove that development and preservation do not have to be enemies.
At the ceremony, GDA Director General Mohammad Fawad said, “The agreement we signed today is the first of its kind in Pakistan. It sets a national template for ecological development, regional economic activity, and community participation written into the contract itself, contributing more than Rs23.2 billion to the Government of KPK, with independent technical and audit oversight at every stage.”
Following a mandatory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and regulatory approvals, groundbreaking is expected by late 2026.
The agreement is to develop the project on a Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) basis, with a concession period of 50 years, extendable by a further 50.
