ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asserted that irregular tourism, unplanned development, and improper disposal of waste were destroying many of Pakistan’s beautiful touristic sites.
He expressed his views while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad today after witnessing an agreement signing between the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and World Bank for ECO Tourism.
Citing the example of Murree, Naran, and Nathia Gali, the Prime Minister said that many unplanned buildings have been erected in the resort towns which are negatively affecting tourism there.
PM Imran further said that it has become mandatory for the country to protect its sites through eco-friendly policies. “We have to safeguard these sites from turning into concrete jungles, otherwise, no one will come here,” he added.
He also said that at present, tourism in Pakistan has “exploded,” for the first time in history, calling for an urgent need to devise eco-friendly policies for the sector. The Prime Minister said that Pakistan’s Northern areas also hold potential for skiing which is still untapped.
“Just like Switzerland earns about $80 billion through their skiing resorts per year, Pakistan can also make achieve great success if such resorts are established here,” PM Imran maintained.
PM Imran Khan said that a country’s tourism will not be successful or sustainable unless local people were able to benefit from it. “If local people are made aware of protecting the sites from environmental degradation because tourism is linked to their livelihoods, they will employ efforts to protect those sites,” he added.
He said the initiative taken by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government today, which involves Waste Collection, Management and Recycling activities, will go a long way in protecting our picturesque sites.
