It is have been decided to promote Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) tourism sector through important initiatives needed in this connection.
The decision was taken during an important meeting of AJK Cabinet’s Sub-Committee for Tourism Promotion Amendment Act Bill 2021 held under the chair of PTI President and Most Senior Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas in his office here on Thursday.
The meeting was attended by Minister Local Government Khawaja Farooq Ahmed, Minister Communication Azhar Sadiq, Minister Forest Akmal Sargala, SMBR Ahsan Khalid Kayani, Secretaries AJK government Mansoor Qadir Dar, Chaudhry Imtiaz, DG Tourism Rashid Hanif and Additional Secretary Law Zahid Rajpoot.
Chairman Committee was briefed in detailed about the final draft prepared regarding amendment in Tourism Act 2021 and all members of committee agreed upon the recommendations.
During the meeting it was agreed to establish a Tourism Authority for providing a working environment to those investing in the sector.
On suggestion of the Most Senior Minister, it was decided to construct rest rooms at every 15 kilometer on main highways through cooperation of Local Government, Highways and Tourism departments.
The decision of constructing rest rooms was aimed to facilitate the passengers/tourists including elderly citizens, children and women while travelling for various destinations across the state.
In first phase, the rest rooms would be established on Kohala-Muzaffarabad, Kohala-Irja and Azad Patan-Rawalakot Highways while rest rooms would be built on main highways of Kotli, Bhimber, Neelum, Mirpur and other areas in second phase.
Minister Local Government Khawaja Farooq, Minister Communication Azhar Sadiq commended the suggestions of the Sardar Tanveer Ilyas and directed all three departments to initiate work on construction of rest rooms within two weeks.
The Most Senior Minister expressed special thanks to the two AJK ministers for valuing his suggestions. The meeting also decided to make AJK Tourism Free Zone and joint recommendation about constituting Tourism Authority would be presented in meeting of the cabinet committee.
It was hoped that amendment in the Act will be pave way for taking tourism sector to new heights of development and progress.
Under the Supervision of Minister Tourism and President PTI Sardar Tanveer Ilyas, the proposed Tourism Policy Amendment Act will start a new era of development of tourism. Efforts were also being made to give tourism a status of industry in AJK and legal constraints in this connection were also being removed.—INP
