Covid-19 has hit KP tourism sector hard, says CM Mahmood Khan

PESHAWAR: Chief Minister Mahmood Khan on Monday said the coronavirus pandemic had badly affected the tourism sector in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He was addressing a press conference along with Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar after attending the meeting of National Command and Operation Centre held here, said an official handout.

Mahmood Khan added that the government was aware of the difficulties faced by the people related to tourism industry due to the lockdown measures. However, he maintained that the measures were taken by the government to protect the people from getting infected with the deadly disease.

The chief minister said that coronavirus cases were decreasing due to the timely and effective measures adopted by the government, adding that the situation was getting better day by day.

However, he said that it had not been decided yet to open the tourism sector. Mahmood Khan added that the matter would be discussed in the next meeting of the National Coordination Council and a final decision to this effect would be made in consultation with the federal and other provincial governments after Eidul Azha.

The chief minister stated that a significant decrease in coronavirus cases has been reported, however, there still exist possibilities of mass scale the outbreak of the pandemic during the upcoming Eid.

He appealed to the general public to strictly follow the preventive measures during the Eid days, celebrate the festival in a simple manner and to avoid visiting tourist spots during the Eid holidays so that the a possible outbreak of the pandemic could be averted.

Mahmood Khan urged the people to remember all the frontline workers and others who lost lives due to coronavirus pandemic and to take care of the vulnerable and deserving segment of the society on Eid.

He said that he had decided to celebrate the upcoming Eid in a simple manner and directed his cabinet members to follow suit. Speaking at the press conference, Asad Umar lauded the initiatives taken by the provincial government to contain the coronavirus

He stated that compared to the other provinces, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had huge challenges in this regard but under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister Mahmood Khan, the provincial government has done a tremendous job.

Asad Umar said that due to the effective strategy of the government, the situation was getting better. He urged the general public to follow the precautionary measures during the Eid so that possible outbreak of coronavirus could be avoided.