ISLAMABAD: National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) Chairman Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari Friday pledged to create massive job opportunities by fast-tracking tourism development in Gilgit Baltistan (GB) in coming days.
Mustering the public support for PTI candidates in the GB elections, scheduled to be held on November 15, he assured a mammoth gathering in the Gilgit City that his party would roll out a comprehensive tourism development package for the area after coming into the power.
Under the package, he said ten recreational areas had been identified for setting up tourism zones in the GB. The feasibility report of four zones had already been finalized while the rest of them were expected to be completed by the next month. The tourism zones spanning over 100 kilometers area would be established in various localities including Hunza, Diamer, Ghizer, Shigar and Skardu with quality restaurants, tourism police and proper road infrastructure.
Zulfikar Bukhari, who also holds the Prime Minister’s Special Assistant (SAPM) on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development portfolio, said the initiative was meant to create a lot of employment opportunities for the people of the GB. Mentioning the tourism authority created in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by the provincial government, he said efforts were afoot to set up such authorities in Punjab and the GB on same pattern for reforming the tourism sector.–Agencies
