Prof. Rahmat Karim Baig
Pakistan and Iran are two neighbours and under the supreme authority of Khomeinis. One is an individual and the other is a group of Khomeinis.
The 18th Amendment devolved powers from the federal government to the provincial governments, and tourism was one of the subjects on this list. The provincial civil administration was supposed to organize tourism policies independently, to introduce rules in light of the tourist strong and weak points of the destinations. Some of these are easily accessible, like Swat, Kaghan, Naran, Abbottabad.
These are easy destinations popular among domestic tourists and require specific rules and regulations, while Chitral and Dir are remoter and hard destinations fit for adventure tourism only, and their geographical location requires different rules and tourist facilities. All cannot be measured with the same rod.
Only a few days back I had reported how a foreign expedition was driven down from the Base Camp of Terich Mir and then a cyclist going up to Terich Mir BC was driven out of the valley despite the fact that the weather was clear and there were no clouds in the sky nor any kind of floods in the streams.
The evacuation ‘plea’ was issued by the high authorities. These are men sitting in AC rooms in the cities and have no idea of the trekking adventures of foreign tourists and the money they have spent for these destinations. The Khomeinis have issued orders and destroyed the image of the destination. The drowning of tourists on the bank of Swat River cannot be a justification for the return of climbers from Terich Mir.
The Khomeini group has never visited the High Hindu Kush destinations. On the one hand the Tourism Authority KP has sent a group of local young men to the Base Camp of Terich Mir on the same route and during the same week, and on the other it has driven down the foreign climbers back from Terich Mir. Is this rational? Why are the foreigners sent out of the Terich Mir valley but at the same time a group of domestic tourists is sent to the same destination? How did the Khomeinis foresee that it is disastrous for foreigners to be in the Terich Mir area but conditions are congenial and safe for domestic tourists? What about this dichotomy? What message are you sending to the media and the tourism markets by this double and irrational decision? Is this the way to promote tourism in the highest peak which has been declared as an ICON for KP?
I request the chief minister to revise the tourism policy towards Chitral.
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