In Islamabad, the Galiyat Development Authority (GDA), under Government of KPK signed a 100-year partnership with a private consortium for developing Pakistan’s first purpose-planned mountain destination, at Thandiani Top. 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 project’s master plan is currently in preparation by a leading international architect firm. Above Zero will operate as a four-season mountain destination, and a new model for mountain living in Pakistan. With a pedestrian-first public realm, a world-class hospitality district, and a residential enclave built with restraint and long-term thinking. Above Zero is a destination that proves that development and preservation do not have to be enemies.
At the ceremony, Mohammad Fawad, Director General, GDA, 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 PKR 23.2 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 anticipated by late 2026.
Delivered by a consortium backed by Tahir Builders (Pvt.) Ltd. and Qubed Hospitality; Abdullah Khan, CEO of Above Zero, said: “Above Zero is not a project, it is a standard. Decades from now, we want this to be remembered as the moment Pakistan chose a different relationship with its mountains. A place where the landscape leads, hospitality learns to listen, and every person who walks this ridge returns to nature.”
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. Early engagement is now open at www.abovezero.pk on an invitation and application basis.
About Above Zero
Above Zero is a consortium of Tahir Builders Pvt Ltd. and Qubed Pvt Ltd. which has been awarded the PPP agreement by the Government of KPK for the development of Thandiani.
