rki.news
By Altaf Hamid Rao
MIRPUR (AJK), May 11 — Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s picturesque lake district of Mirpur achieved a significant milestone in the tourism and hospitality sector with the launch of the internationally recognized “2nd Wife Restaurant,” a multi-million-rupee project inaugurated in the city this week.
Senior management officials, including Deputy Chief Executive Officer Zaeem ur Rehman, Managing Director Muhammad Khubaib Mirza, and Nazim ur Rehman, briefed the media about the project during a ceremony attended by senior journalists and business leaders.
They said the Mirpur outlet is the fourth branch of the restaurant chain after successful operations in Mandi Bahauddin and Jhelum districts of Punjab province. The Mirpur branch is the first of its kind in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and aims to provide quality dining facilities featuring Pakistani and Kashmiri cuisine, including a wide range of traditional regional dishes.
The restaurant is located near Shaheed Chowk on Allama Iqbal Road in central Mirpur and has a seating capacity of 350 guests in its main and family halls. Management also announced that a modern conference and event hall with a 500-person capacity and advanced sound system will soon become operational after completion of interior decoration work.
Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director Muhammad Khubaib Mirza said the project represents a new standard in the hospitality industry of AJK and reflects the growing commercial potential of Mirpur, a city widely known for its large overseas Kashmiri community based mainly in the United Kingdom.
He said the project has also created new employment opportunities for local youth. More than 100 skilled and unskilled employees, including both men and women from Mirpur and other parts of AJK, have been recruited without gender discrimination.
The management further stated that a large basement parking facility has been developed to address increasing traffic and parking challenges in the city center.
The media briefing was attended by President Kashmir Press Club Syed Abid Hussain Shah, former President of the AJK Chamber of Commerce and Industry Faisal Manzoor Chaudhry, and other representatives from the business and media communities.
Officials said the strong response from customers, including overseas Kashmiris visiting Mirpur, encouraged the restaurant chain to expand into Azad Kashmir.