Three rest houses handed over to Punjab Tourism Dept

LAHORE: The three rest houses of the Forest Department in Murree have been handed over to the Tourism Department in line with the policy of CM Punjab to open public sector rest houses for the general public.

In this regard, an MOU was signed at Forest Complex on Thursday in which Forest Minister Sibtain Khan, Tourism Adviser Asif Mahmood, Secretary Tourism Ehsan Bhutta, Secretary Forest Javed Iqbal Bukhari and others attended the ceremony.

Under the MoU, Forest Department will upgrade rest houses by providing a hostel, children's play area, Food Street and other amenities to attract visitors and the revenue will be divided between the two departments.

Addressing the ceremony, Forest Minister Sibtain Khan said bilateral cooperation will promote tourism as the TDCP will run the rest houses for wider utilisation. Adviser Asif Mahmood stated that better utilisation of rest houses is the prime objective of MoU.

The three rest houses will also be renovated and upgraded while maintaining the serene beauty. More rest houses will be open to the public. Floating restaurants will also be established in Sindh River at Kalabagh area, he informed.