Monday 22 July 2013

Tourism of Pakistan: A lost tale

After the killings of 10 foreign climbers in Gilgit Baltistan last month in June 2013, tourism continues to suffer. Tourists from all over the world now fear and are cancelling their organized visits to Pakistan. Among which Kyle Dempster a US based climber writes in this regard to Pakistan Tehreek e Taliban who took the responsibility of killing the tourists as a protest that moved the general public on social, economical and moral grounds, and also continues to devastate the lives of many in the Northern region.

The Northern areas of Pakistan where the 7 highest peaks of the world stand gloriously strong under the biggest glaciers of the world have always been the major attraction for the adventure tourism industry climbers, hikers, cyclists and hikers from all over the world.

An American climber, Kyle Dempster wrote a letter to Tehreek e Taliban Paksitan registering his protest against the killings of the ten tourists and highlighting the importance of tourism in Pakistan. Dempster said that the climbers who are targeted were in their own mosque as Pakistan is “the Mecca of climbers”. Describing the northern mountain series, he wrote, ‘most stunning minarets on earth pierce sharply into the heavens, and from these summits we find our understanding of purity, beg for mercy, and cleanse ourselves of everything extraneous to the very place inside ourselves.’

In his letter, Dempster also wrote about the financial problems that the tourism industry would face that could have benefited Pakistan, and yet he supports their agenda on drone attacks and has been activist against the misuse of power but utterly opposes Taliban’s actions over the foreign climbers. His letter triggered a wave of awareness among people all over Pakistan who understand the need of Tourism, development and revenue.

The recent incident has jolted the tourism industry and the people who depend on tourism in these areas are hopeless and ready for another year of little tourism.

The famous mountaineer and the president of an adventure tourism company, Nazir Sabir says that the government does not have a favorable approach for giving tourists visas to the foreigners, they claim to give tourist visas in lacs but the number never exceeded 50,000, not even in the “good times”. Criticizing the role of the government over tourism policy, Sabir said, “I have given my life to the mountains but I have never seen Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) or the Government allowing tourists visa to the foreigners.”

According to Sabir, if only the tourism industry would be dealt seriously and security is provided to the locals and foreigners, the whole Pakistan can be fed through it. ‘Taliban and Government do not understand what rich tourism is being killed all out of ignorance and corruption, he added.

Summer is considered the tourism season in this region, later it gets too cold for climbing. A local, Farkhanda Ahmad said that the locals are not extremists, they welcome the foreign tourists with open arms, and many people depend on them for livelihood. The incident was the failure of security agencies and it has ruined the image of tourism in Pakistan globally. The deaths of the then tourists will affect the livelihood of millions.


Government and the local tourist guides claimed that after a decade, the adventure tourism picked up the pace and but after the incident thousands of tourists have cancelled their visits. Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation PTDC claims that almost 1/3rd of the overall tourists have cancelled their visit to Pakistan, and the remaining 65% are not linked with the adventure tourism that involves trekking, camping, hiking and climbing mountains.

The managing director of TDCP (Tourism Development Corporation Punjab) stated that there was a huge increase of 30% tourists in Pakistan this year which could exceed the revenue generated last year that was around 700 million dollars per anum but now it would suffer immensely he said “the tourism industry is largely linked with the major cities such as Islamabad, Lahore, Pindi and Karachi that is the route for the tourists, after the incident at Nanga Parbat now people are scared and economy suffers”.

The incident has not only harmed the tourism industry but it has also halted many development programs of various NGOs and other public welfare organizations. Rehman said “the institutes and infrastructure development consists of many foreigners working on voluntarily basis, due to their security reasons they along with their current projects have also been stopped leaving the beneficiaries who were underprivileged families and children are now also stranded.”

People from Gilgit Baltistan condemned the attacks on the foreign tourists while the no proper action has yet been announced by the Government or the army to secure the development in the troubled parts of Pakistan that can be the source of some serious revenue.

The director of a local travel agency that has been very active for organizing tours in the area in the recent years said that the current Government claims to reform the security issues, if they would seize on providing this basic necessity then there is no difference between this government and the ones before it.


Recalling the former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto’s era, Sabir said that Bhutto started the tourism division in early 70s and later developed a tourism policy for this which had never been implemented. According to him, the main reason of failure in implementing a proper tourism policy is that we have never been able to assess our potential and “never been introduced to the world” that could generate immense revenue for Pakistan; and due to this we have suffered a lot in the aftermath of 9/11.

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Shiite Protest at Governor House Live day 3



The cause about to be high jacked. The Shia protest that began as the cause gradually has gained strength, the main protest at the Governor House Lahore grew and more than 5000 people have joined in the rotation cycle of daily protests. The speeches on the deaths of Hazara community is an irony yet it has united a part of Muslim community. Yet the demand to bring over army still stands in a question. Lashkar e Jhangwi for the second time has taken the responsibility for the deaths of Shiite Hazara community. The Shiite community demands Chief Justice to take notice and announce state of emergency on Balochistan. Killing has become a daily practice within the borders of Balochistan.
The irony is this is how we know Balochistan a playground for religious extremists to slaughter innocent lives. While the government, army, intelligence, military police they would all turn their backs on it.
There a different types of people here at the protest. Many standing for the cause, many to bring their organizations and their political parties to build a good image. Using it as a tool MQM has been the most successful candidate for recording their 10 minute protest and standing towards the media DSNG’s.
This is not a political protest, if the main leadership would not realize their duties, Pakistan does seem to quickly move towards a violent division as we have witnessed in 70’s,
Lashkar e Jhangwi is also being advertised as a major terrorist organization moreover, Shiite community is unifying and chanting against the crackdown of the Quetta to save the people. Political parties have proven to be a complete waste for providing safety to the Shiite community.
People who claim President Asif Ali Zardari as Shiite and former Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani as Shiite should give it a second thought whether they are even concerned about any of the serious issues in Pakistan.
In the past 4 years we have suffered shortage of electricity, we kept quiet:
We have suffered inflation at its peak, we kept quiet, political instability we kept quiet. We have suffered joblessness, we have suffered injustice, we kept quiet, we have suffered bhatta, we have suffered bad standards of education, we have suffered excessive spending over not so important issues but most of all we have suffered infinite killings on random suicide attacks all over Pakistan. But now the evil has moved towards an ongoing curse of sectarian violence, yet our record tells us we would still not stand united for long.
Lady said “please spread the word, we want a complete crackdown of Quetta unless this terrorist community would be completely diminished. Is this lashkar e jhangwi more powerful than army?”
The whole world turns a cold shoulder towards the Shiite agony and loss of lives.
People are growing in number people are also bringing food for the protestors and are making an effort to make it easier for them to maintain their protest through cold weather. Nobody is tired nobody wants to go home, everybody is playing their part. We talk about peace yet this protest has shown peace as their cause to be brought to Quetta and also have peacefully kept their patience and agenda to keep up their aim to bring a crackdown to Quetta.
Even announcements of lost and found are playing their part on maintaining peace at the protest. This could be a much stronger blow to the government, intelligence, army and FC to be pressurized. Yet the importance should be felt and should be dealt accordingly as quickly as possible.