Faiza Tehseen

Islamabad – the capital of Pakistan – abounds in historic sights, monuments, cultural activities, and national parks, making it a unique tourist attraction at both national and international level. Talking to WealthPK, Managing Director of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) Aftab ur Rahman said, “Islamabad is full of enormous tourism potential. Being the capital of Pakistan, it is a wonderful presentation of the natural landscape, historic places, human engineering, municipal services, and planning. It is considered one of the most beautiful capitals in the world.

The lush green foothills of the Himalayan Mountain range, Margalla National Park, shrines of saints, Buddha’s caves, monuments, museums, and many more spots make the visit a biological hotspot and knowledge-based panorama as well. The PTDC is always active to promote all activities concerning tourism, especially in the capital. Implementation of a proper tourist policy is on the way to make tourism a positive experience in Pakistan.”

In a discussion with WealthPK about tourism development and promotion in Islamabad, especially the Margalla National Park, Prof Zahid Baig Mirza, Chairman of the Scientific Committee, Islamabad Wildlife Management Board, said, “Owing to its geographical position, only a little more planning can turn Islamabad into a remarkable tourist destination. In 1980s, the grasslands of Margalla hills due to their biodiversity were named as the Margalla National Park.

As soon as it got the official title, natural succession took place according to the true biological conditions because of less human interference. A network of trails was also established for hiking and soon it seemed more a hikers’ park than a national park. It was also disturbing the natural habitat of a variety of species. So, the hiking activities were controlled to an extent allowing the wild animals i.e., monkeys, leopards, to confidently mark their territories. Tourists, especially the locals, made this place a rush tourist area.

They also made littering a regular practice. So, both trash and noises started to disturb the ecology once again. About 300 volunteers collect garbage on a daily basis to keep the environment clean. Their time could be consumed as guides in the national park to make the tourists’ visit more fruitful. There is no law to bar the people from littering the place. For this sake and to conserve the ecology of the national park, a policy has been prepared with the inclusion of visiting ethics, awareness of the value of national parks, and proper law outlines. Soon, it will be implemented.

Checking the rush of vehicles, special visiting coasters and discouraging the mushroom growth of restaurants are also part of a plan to conserve the nature. Globally, it is a usual practice to earn from the visitors of the national park in multiple aspects, i.e., bird/ animal watching, game, camping.

Prof Zahid said, ‘’Community collaboration is another important part to make such places friendly for ecology and caring for tourists. For this sake, it is important to educate people about the importance and economic value of their surroundings. So, my wife took a step to establish one-room schools where the local children were educated up to grades 1 and 2 other than just grazing the sheep. Vocational centers at a small scale were also established to make women financially strong and skillful in hand embroidery and stitching. Now, 5 to 6 centers are operational to train them.

These centers also help them sell their products and get more orders by staying at their place. To cut short the kitchen bills, we also trained the local children to grow vegetables, fruits, etc. The Seed Corporation of Pakistan cooperated in this regard by providing free seeds of different varieties.” He said sometimes fossils and shells were also discovered from the natural park but they must be saved at the places where they were found. This, he said, will make the place full of adventure. In short, with the promotion and conservation of our ecological grounds, especially in Islamabad, great economic benefits could be obtained, he added.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-WealthPk