BEIJING, Dec. 29 (DNA): “Tourism is a good medium that can promote cultural exchanges and pass on the friendship between China and Pakistan from generation to generation,” a researcher from China Tourism Academy (CTA) said.

Speaking to Gwadar Pro, Yang Jinsong, Director of the Institute of International Studies at CTA said that China-Pakistan exchanges in the tourism industry are in their infancy.

Pakistan became a destination country for Chinese group tourists since 2003. In 2015, there were more than 50,000 Chinese tourists to Pakistan, which increased to more than 80,000 in 2019. While there were 155 million Chinese outbound tourists in 2019, so the digital divide is still very large.

“In the future, we hope to promote mutual understanding and tourism exchanges between the two countries through traditional media, social media and other platforms.”

Touching on Chinese tourists’ demand for Pakistan, Yang said, Pakistan has abundant tourism resources, but Chinese tourists cannot get access to that information.

First, Pakistan should do more publicity about their tourist industry. Second, as people are increasingly concerned about safety and health due to the COVID-19 epidemic, how to ensure the safety of tourists is a very important issue.

Third, we hope Pakistan will learn more about the consumption habits of Chinese tourists. For example, Chinese tourists like to buy special commodities and souvenirs during their journeys.

If a destination country can study the purchasing habits of tourists in depth, it will definitely promote the development of local tourism.

In terms of travel facilitation, Yang said, “If the visa processing can be simplified, shuttle flights can be increased and 5G network coverage can be improved, I believe the Chinese tourists will be more willing to visit Pakistan.”

Regarding CTA’s medium and long-term plans to promote China-Pakistan tourist exchanges, Yang said that in the future, it will establish a linkage and cooperation mechanism with other ministries towards tourism.

As the data center of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the academy is currently conducting country studies and hopes to carry out more cooperation with Pakistan in data exchange. CTA has rich experience in research report seminars and tourism training, which can be shared with Pakistan.

In terms of learning from China’s tourism development experience, Yang said that each country has its own national conditions and sometimes can not directly copy other countries’ experience.

But some of China’s successful experience can help Pakistan avoid hiccups, for example, we can provide a reference for Pakistan in scenic spot construction and market order regulation.

At present, China’s domestic tourism is recovering at an accelerating pace, we can also offer Pakistan some experience in epidemic prevention and control and resumption of work and production.

According to a recent report of Gwadar Pro, Moin ul Haque, Pakistani Ambassador to China visited CTA in mid-December. Yang described Haque’s visit as an opportunity and a starting point to promote the development of Pakistani tourist industry and spur on China-Pakistan cultural and tourist cooperation.

ISLAMABAD : Pakistan will not gain anything by recognising Israel in the security or economic fields except causing a casualty of its own national ideology, which is the real binding force of the country.

This was the crux of the deliberation titled ‘UAE’s recognition of Israel and its implications for the Middle East and Pakistan’, which was held here at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS).

The session, chaired by IPS Executive President Khalid Rahman, was addressed by some former ambassadors, security analysts and members of the IPS’ research faculty.

The speakers were unanimous in their views that the issues as delicate, as the recognition of Israel must be addressed in line with the popular opinion and sentiments, and through parliamentary debates. They cautioned that any measure taken against the national ideology and policy environment will create chaos in the country.

It was also deplored that the debate initiated on the issue in the policy arena for some benefits is untimely and counterproductive, as it does not present any vision and proactive plan to benefit from such a major foreign policy shift. Rather, Pakistan does not seem to gain anything by accepting Israel in material terms in the security or economic arena except causing a casualty of its own national ideology.

Speaking from a diplomatic viewpoint, the discussion underscored that while it is important to carve paths of pragmatism from within the underlying grey areas of diplomacy and foreign policy, it is also imperative that no step is taken at the cost of the country’s identity, sovereignty or fundamental ideology. Likewise, it should also be made sure that no compromises are made out of any fear, threat, or greed.

It was pointed out that unfortunately, it is such an argument of pragmatism that is being used on many occasions to get important decisions without bringing it into public debate. A similar attempt is being made in the issue of Israel’s’ recognition as well, as it is very easy to anticipate that any such discussion in the public domain is less likely to garner much support.

Deliberating over the economic aspect, it was stressed that the real issue of the country is not its economic debt, but extreme mismanagement of economic resources that was caused by poor governance. It was highlighted that Israel too was under considerable debt itself, but its efficient utilisation of the loans turned out to be the deciding factor in making its borrowed money beneficial instead of a burden.

Similarly, it was also questioned that if the economic weakness is being deemed as the major reason behind the recognition of Israel, then why rich and self-reliant Muslim countries like UAE have chosen to walk that path?

Over the argument of security and intelligence sharing between Pakistan and Israel, a question was raised that against whom the cooperation will be used? If it is supposed to be against terrorism, it would still be relevant in the cases of CPEC and Balochistan, as these two are the major areas where the country is faced with growing threats, most noticeably from its western neighbour.

The speakers also lamented that one of the biggest dilemmas faced by the Muslim world at present is that its leaders are not true representatives of its masses. The phenomenon is not only rendering them ineffective at the international scale, but also weakening them from within.

ISLAMABAD, DEC 28 (DNA) – Former minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) secretary general Muhammad Ali Durrani on Monday claimed the government and the opposition alliance was involved in a “Track-II dialogue” to defuse the confrontational political landscape.

A diplomatic practice, Track-II or backchannel dialogue brings together unofficial representatives on both sides, with no apparent government participation.

Speaking to a private television, Durrani, while underscoring the need for defusing the heated political situation, the former minister said a dialogue [between the government and the PDM parties] has begun and it can clearly be seen.

Durrani, who remained Minister for Information and Broadcasting during the tenure of President Pervez Musharraf and is considered close to the military establishment, said the nation wanted a dialogue between the two stakeholders, adding there are people [on both sides of the aisle] who can defuse the political heat.

“Instead of keeping such people behind the bars, they should be offered a chance to play a role in this situation,” he said in an apparent reference to PML-N president and National Assembly Opposition Leader Shahbaz Sharif.

His statement comes days after he called on Sharif in Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore and conveyed him a message from PML-N chief Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi, better known as Pir sahib of Pigaro, asking him to play his role in convincing the opposition not to quit assemblies to “save the democratic system”. With one seat in the Senate, the Functional League is an ally of the PTI government.

“During my meeting with Shehbaz, I conveyed an important message of the party chief Syed Sibghatullah Rashidi [Pir of Pagaro] to him. Shehbaz is asked to play his role in stopping the opposition from resigning from the assemblies as the move could wrap up the democratic system,” he said following the meeting.

“There is a need to initiate a grand dialogue among the national institutions and politicians, make the parliament functional and gather all Muslim Leagues under one platform.”

He said Sharif was also conveyed that the “collision course” the PDM was going to adopt would have “serious consequences”.

Only on Sunday, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari asked Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign by January 31 or the opposition would stage a long march to Islamabad. = DNA

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ISLAMABAD, DEC 28 (DNA) – Prime Minister Imran Khan Monday said that northern areas of Pakistan especially Gilgit-Baltistan had immense potential to become the world’s top tourist destination, provided availability of modern facilities.

Talking to Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan Khalid Khurshid, the Prime Minister stressed provision of facilities in tourist areas of GB to attract bigger influx of tourists from world over.

The meeting discussed in detail the development and promotion of tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan with focus on eco-tourism and protection of glaciers and forests. It was highlighted that promotion of tourism activities would generate employment opportunities for local people of GB.

The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister about the skiing competitions to be organized by the government of Gilgit-Baltistan in February. The meeting also discussed the steps taken to exploit potential of mineral deposits in Gilgit and development plans for the local people. = DNA

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