Could this man unlock the block  to the regeneration of  Thornton Heath by giving back life to Ambassador House?
Sajid Bashir, is pictured with former cricketer and politician Imran Khan, who leads the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf  party.

This picture and their acquitance caused a storm on Twitter as it followed a national Pakistani newspaper report accusing Mr Bashir of unverifiable property dealings.

Red Wing Property Holdings Ltd incorporated in the British Virgin Islands is listed  on the Land Registry as owning  Ambassador House.

According to the Panama Papers, leaked off shore data, Mr Bashir is the only beneficiary of  the company.

Ambassador House looms large over Brigstock Road and the High Street.

This once iconic busy office building has been empty since it was sold at auction in October 2012 due to liquidation as various tenants had vacated the building and the rent no longer covered the interest payable on the loan.

Mr Bashir acquired the balance of the 120 year lease from December 1967, so 74 years. The income at the time of sale was £226,167 pa with a ground rent payable to the freeholder of £72,500 pa but aside from  income from mobile phone masts there are no longer any tenants in the office building.

The freehold is split between Network Rail and Fort Properties Ltd, who are incorporated in the Isle of Man and purchased 1 Ambassador House from Keystone Holdings Ltd for £48,085,000 in 2015.

Red Wing Properties is the main leaseholder and there are five sub leaseholders.

Mr Bashir paid just a few hundred thousand at auction for Ambassador House and began marketing it through Copperstones International Properties.

Ambassador House was described in the sales brochure as an exciting asset management opportunity – an office and retail lot measuring 80,000sq ft.

Mr Bashir is the CEO of Copperstones, an upmarket estate agents which says on its web site it has offices in Marleybone, Mayfair and Lahore.

Last year he was at the Luxury Property Show in Beijing selling off-plan one, two and three bedroom flats in the Battersea Power Station development which he speaks about on YouTube and sell for in excess of £1.2million.

The Chronicle previously reported that Cherif Investment Properties Ltd, a real estate management company,  were interested in acquiring Ambassador House; however their efforts were thwarted because of  ‘difficulty in dealing with the leaseholders’.

The council had been in talks with Cherif on a plan for low cost business space combined with quality refurbished two and three bed residential apartments.

However, the council were informed by The Chronicle that Cherif were no longer involved in the process. A budget of £68,750 had been set aside from the Thornton Heath GLA New Homes  regeneration budget for a feasibility study on options for Ambassador House although its unclear what happened to this.

Thousands of pounds was spent on taking legal advice about compulsorily purchasing Ambassador House.

There is a desperate need for housing and the council has already converted office blocks in to housing on the London Road.

It is now four years since Labour took control of the council, and despite promises from councillors we are no nearer finding a solution to the Ambassador House quandary.

The Chronicle asked Mr Bashir for comments on his plans for Ambassador House but didn’t receive a response.