Pakistan has vast opportunities in tourism sector: Italian envoy

MULTAN: Italian Ambassador Stefano Pontecorvo has offered assistance to promote tourism as Pakistan has vast opportunities in the sector.

In a meeting with Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak here on Friday, the ambassador said that Italy and Pakistan were jointly working to promote tourism in the country.

The work on the master plan was in progress, he added. The ambassador said that Italy was earning 15 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product from tourism and tourism transformed the economy of a country in the most positive way. He said that Pakistan had vast opportunities in the promotion of religious and cultural tourism. The work on the Multan Walled City project would resume soon, he added.

The ambassador said that the Italian government was earlier working on the restoration of cultural heritage in Lahore and Peshawar, and now it was completely focusing on Multan. The Italian embassy was working to constitute a team for the restoration of Multan’s ancient cultural heritage, which had uniqueness across the world, he maintained. The Italian government would provide Rs 450 million for execution of work on Multan Walled City phase-II project, he added.

The Italian government was interested to contribute in the uplift of Multan Children Complex. The Italian government was ready to extend cooperation and assistance in the promotion of football game in the country, he added. He announced establishing the Pak-Italian resource centre at the building of historical Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower). The skilled artisans would have the opportunity of business at the resource centre, the Italian ambassador said. The Pak-Italian resource centre would facilitate and promote trade between Pakistan and Italy, he added.

Multan Walled City project Chairman MPA Nadeem Qureshi said that Multan was an ancient city and it had been surviving for the last 5,000 years. Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak said that the city district administration was ready to resume work on the phase-II of Multan Walled City project.

The city district administration would complete the project in a transparent manner, he added. He underlined the need for Italian cooperation in the education and health sectors. The DC said that measures were being taken to keep the walled city neat and clean in the most organised way.

Later, the Italian ambassador along with MPA Nadeem Qureshi and Deputy Commissioner Amir Khattak inaugurated a passenger lounge (Musafir Khana). The ambassador also visited the walled city office at Multan Ghanta Ghar and the project management unit briefed him about the progress on the project. Meanwhile, the Italian ambassador and his wife visited the Multan craft bazaar and the shrines of Hazrat Shah Rukne Alam and Hazrat Bahauddin Zakariya.