Balochistan to get new tourism policy: Abdul Khaliq Hazara
Balochistan to get new tourism policy: Abdul Khaliq Hazara
APP
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ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sports Abdul Khaliq Hazara Wednesday said that the provincial government was planning to introduce a new tourism policy in order to revamp and develop the sector for increasing provincial revenue.

ISLAMABAD: Balochistan Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sports Abdul Khaliq Hazara Wednesday said that the provincial government was planning to introduce a new tourism policy in order to revamp and develop the sector for increasing provincial revenue.

Talking to APP, the provincial minister Abdul Khaliq Hazara said, “We will try our best to boost provincial tourism, as it has large scope and viable venues in the unique terrain of the province.”

Balochistan is a blessed province of the country that has a large number of natural resources, he said adding that they need the federal government’s assistance so that they could explore untapped tourist sites in the province.

He urged the investors to not hesitate investing in the tourism sector of Balochistan, as it was a new Pakistan and the negative perception about Balochistan should be changed.

“Balochistan has great potential in tourism and it is the right time to invest in the sector,” the minister said.

He said that they completely depend on natural resources, if they could not develop good infrastructure and efficient utilisation of natural resources then they would fail to secure better future for their coming generations.

He said the provincial government was making efforts to enhance road connectivity, establishing motels and other development projects across the province. "We were also working to provide all facilities to the tourists visiting Balochistan", the minister said.

The minister remarked that the boosting of tourism in the province would generate more jobs for the local community.

He said Balochistan was a resource-rich province of the country, which constitutes 44 percent of the country’s territory. The resources have been distributed on population basis under the 18th amendment whereas the income generated through tourism in the country should be distributed on the basis of area of the provinces, he suggested.

“The province has several coastal areas like Gwadar, Jiwani, Pasni which can easily bring development to the province. Besides this, Balochistan has numerous historical, religious, environmental and astonishingly beautiful sites which can be developed into mega tourist spots,” he informed.

“Balochistan is home to one of the most beautiful tourist destinations of the country that attract a large number of tourists every year,” he mentioned.

“Quaid-i-Azam Residency with its lush green lawns, chinar trees and flower gardens reflect a striking view of the whole valley. Ziarat is a holiday resort amid one of the largest and oldest Junipur forests in the world. It is said that some of the Junipur trees are as old as thousands of years,” he said.

With the improvement in law and order situation, the number of tourist arrivals had increased by five folds in a short span of time, the minister said.

He said, “It is our goal to see every city of the province filled with foreign tourists and it will benefit local people.”

He said the tourism department would initiate new projects to further develop tourist facilities, hotels, rest houses and restaurants, adding more tourist information centres would be set up to provide relevant information to the visitors.

He said the department would also launch tour packages to various resorts of the province. The department would also organize cultural shows and festivals to attract tourists at various resorts, he said.