Ensuring law and order a must for tourism promotion, says Imran

NARAN: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Monday that ensuring law and order was inevitable for the promotion of tourism, coupled with development of infrastructure and facilities like resorts and recreational activities.

He was talking to media after arriving here on a day-long trip to launch several tourism and environmental protection projects. Khan said after eradication of terrorism, the influx of tourists had doubled in Pakistan. He said mere construction of roads was not enough since tourism happens to be a science and a component of different facilities.

The Prime Minister said the focus would be laid on both summer and winter tourism so as to bring in revenue and create jobs. He added under the newly introduced tourism integrated zones, the government would ensure implementation of bylaws to discourage haphazard construction.

He further said with an eco-friendly infrastructure in place, Pakistan’s northern areas with their captivating natural beauty could become the world’s top tourist destination.

Addressing Tiger Force, the volunteer youth of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) for community service, he said strict implementation of bylaws to ensure preservation of green cover and cleanliness of tourist spots can help Pakistan capitalise the true potential of tourism.

Khan said promotion of sustainable tourism through laws to check littering and damage to trees in areas with increased influx of visitors could secure the fragile ecosystem. The Prime Minister said Allah Almighty had blessed Pakistan with beautiful landscape with diversity ranging from plains to mountains, and stressed that the best way to offer gratitude was to preserve the natural course of environment.

He said the government’s Clean and Green Pakistan initiative was about caring for the nature and encouraging people to avoid littering the public places and protecting trees. Khan expressed confidence that corrective measures in tourism sector would bring a revolution towards generating revenue.

He advised the residents and parliamentarians belonging to Kaghan Valley to get engaged in maintaining cleanliness of their area to attract more tourists, which he said would be beneficial for the local economy.

He lauded the efforts of Commissioner Hazara Division Riaz Khan for working out a strategy to protect eco-friendly tourism in Kaghan Valley. On the occasion, the Prime Minister planted a deodar tree along the bank of River Kunhar under a project for protection against erosion and silting. He also distributed motorbikes among the River Rangers who would patrol by the river to curb illegal fishing.

By releasing a grown trout fish into the river, Khan inaugurated Destination Trout Trophy in which the people would be allowed to catch fish but to release immediately. Under the Clean and Green Pakistan initiative, the Prime Minister kicked off a drive to distribute around 550,000 biodegradable shopping bags among the community to protect the natural beauty of Kaghan Valley.

A Tourist Emergency Response Service to provide first aid and other emergency services to tourists across the 170 kilometer stretch of Kaghan Valley was also inaugurated. The Kaghan Development Authority will install all weather benches at Kunhar River bank, and Saif-ul-Maluk and Lulusar lakes.

Earlier, in a briefing, Commissioner Riaz Khan requested the Prime Minister for a Rs200 million grant for Kaghan Development Authority and rehabilitation of Karakorum Highway and N-15 to ensure smooth incoming and outgoing traffic flow to tourist cities.