DNA

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 : Waziristan is fast becoming a tourism hotspot, as it provides some fascinated places to visit, says a report published by Gwadar Pro on Friday.

Tribal youth from South and North Waziristan are extensively utilising social media platforms to promote the stunning beauty of the erstwhile lawless districts bordering Afghanistan ever since Pakistan Army wiped out militants here.

The report says, this is a success story, as thousands of people have started travelling to Waziristan, including families, from the country’s settled areas, said Zahid Wazir, an analyst from North Waziristan, who has vast exposure to matters related to the tribal region.

Zahid Wazir said that Waziristan had the potential to divert tourism spotlight from Swat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, at least for the people of Sindh province and South Punjab, not to mention foreign tourists at this point of time.

He said that the CPEC Western route will also connect these areas with the rest of the country, which will further boost tourism in Waziristan.

Wazir said that many factors contributed to this unexpected but pleasant development, including better roads network, which made the areas easily accessible.

However, the biggest contributor is the change of mindset and social acceptability for people of non-tribal areas among the tribesmen as they went through untold hardships in camps in settled areas after they were displaced due to military operations in the past, he said.

Saifee Wazir, a professional cameraman struggling to set up a firm to promote tourism in Waziristan, said that there were still issues for people of other areas to freely access these districts.

The government needs to encourage people and grant people NOCs for bringing tourists to Waziristan without any hassle.

These districts could become a new tourism hotspot in the country, he said optimistically. He said that due to the presence of hardcore militants in the area for decades, the Army is still not allowing non-local people to freely visit Waziristan.

Hayat Preghal, a political activist from the area and admin of numerous social media pages on Waziristan, observed that tourism sector could become an industry in these districts if the government developed a few spots and built quality hotels there.

The local people are shy of investing their money in tourism facilities because the uncertainty is still prevailing there, he said.

Hayat Preghal added that Waziristan had two trade corridors with Afghanistan, via Angoor Ada and Ghulam Khan. Also, these districts produce the best of pine nuts, apple, vegetables and precious herbs.

The government has also established an agriculture park on a vast piece of land in Ladha. He expected that Waziristan will become a tourism and trade hub in days to come, which might amaze fellow Pakistan who otherwise only imagined bloodshed in this beautiful terrain.

ISLAMABAD : Congratulating the nation on its 73 years of independence, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that our journey towards a country envisioned by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah has begun.

Taking to Twitter, he said: “Our journey towards Quaid’s Pakistan has begun: for Rule of Law with all citizens equal before the law; & towards an Islamic Welfare State, premised on compassion.”

Prime Minister Khan congratulated the nation on successfully tackling COVID-19 by protecting the poor through cash support and smart lockdowns and by being able to reduce the overall cases.

“I congratulate the nation at upturn in our economy after 2 yrs of struggle. Current Account & Fiscal deficits are down; construction industry & throu[gh] it job creation taking off bec[ause] of our special incentives; stock market up; exports & revenues up & cement & car sales up.”

“I congratulate nation bec[ause] we are fixing the damaging structure we inherited in our Power sector.

After long negotiations we have signed new agreement with IPPs which will bring down cost of power generation & reduce circular debt. Next reform target is power distribution system.”

The prime minister in a message to brave Kashmiri brethren said that the nation stands united with them in their just struggle for self-determination. “We will provide them with all the support at all levels as they valiantly fight India’s illegal occupation.”

KARACHI : A boat rally held from Keamari to Manora on Friday (today) to celebrate Pakistan’s Independence Day.

Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs, Ali Zaidi, also participated in the boat rally. ” I have first time attended the boat rally and enjoyed it very much,” the minister said.

More than 30 boats participated the independence day rally, which started from Keamari, reached Manora and than returned back to Keamari.Maritime Affairs minister Ali Zaidi, expressed his disappointment over heaps of garbage at Karachi Port. “I have saw several ports across the globe but didn’t see the garbage in this volume,” Zaidi exclaimed.

Earlier, talking to media at mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam here Ali Zaidi said Pakistan is moving forward with the policies of the prime minister and economic conditions of the country are improving.

“The prime minister’s smart lockdown policy helped to control the coronavirus,” he said.

“It was the responsibility of the political government to seek solution of civic problems in Karachi but unfortunately it didn’t happen,” he said.

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 14 : Waziristan is fast becoming a tourism hotspot, as it provides some fascinated places to visit, says a report published by Gwadar Pro on Friday.

Tribal youth from South and North Waziristan are extensively utilising social media platforms to promote the stunning beauty of the erstwhile lawless districts bordering Afghanistan ever since Pakistan Army wiped out militants here.

The report says, this is a success story, as thousands of people have started travelling to Waziristan, including families, from the country’s settled areas, said Zahid Wazir, an analyst from North Waziristan, who has vast exposure to matters related to the tribal region.

Zahid Wazir said that Waziristan had the potential to divert tourism spotlight from Swat, Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan, at least for the people of Sindh province and South Punjab, not to mention foreign tourists at this point of time.

He said that the CPEC Western route will also connect these areas with the rest of the country, which will further boost tourism in Waziristan.

Wazir said that many factors contributed to this unexpected but pleasant development, including better roads network, which made the areas easily accessible.

However, the biggest contributor is the change of mindset and social acceptability for people of non-tribal areas among the tribesmen as they went through untold hardships in camps in settled areas after they were displaced due to military operations in the past, he said.

Saifee Wazir, a professional cameraman struggling to set up a firm to promote tourism in Waziristan, said that there were still issues for people of other areas to freely access these districts.

The government needs to encourage people and grant people NOCs for bringing tourists to Waziristan without any hassle.

These districts could become a new tourism hotspot in the country, he said optimistically. He said that due to the presence of hardcore militants in the area for decades, the Army is still not allowing non-local people to freely visit Waziristan.

Hayat Preghal, a political activist from the area and admin of numerous social media pages on Waziristan, observed that tourism sector could become an industry in these districts if the government developed a few spots and built quality hotels there.

The local people are shy of investing their money in tourism facilities because the uncertainty is still prevailing there, he said.

Hayat Preghal added that Waziristan had two trade corridors with Afghanistan, via Angoor Ada and Ghulam Khan. Also, these districts produce the best of pine nuts, apple, vegetables and precious herbs.

The government has also established an agriculture park on a vast piece of land in Ladha. He expected that Waziristan will become a tourism and trade hub in days to come, which might amaze fellow Pakistan who otherwise only imagined bloodshed in this beautiful terrain.

KARACHI : Second street library of Karachi will be inaugurated on Independence Day (today) at Baloch Chowk in Lyari.

The first street library in the city, with over 600 books on different subjects, was inaugurated on December 25, last year on the occasion of the 144th birth anniversary of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The street library in Lyari has been established at Baloch Chowk in collaboration with the District Municipal Corporation (DMC) South.Karachi Commissioner Iftikhar Shallwani is expected to inaugurated the street library today.

The city administration had initiated work for setting up the second street library of the metropolis from July 05 this year.

The first street library of Karachi is located at the Commissioner’s Corner at Metropole.

The library was inaugurated by Sindh Chief Secretary Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah.

Appreciating the establishment of the library, Shah said that the library will promote reading culture. He announced that similar kind of libraries will also be established in other cities of the province, including Hyderabad and Sukkur.

Meanwhile, Shallwani said that the idea of setting up a street library was part of his efforts towards the promotion of reading culture in the city. He said all six districts of the city will have such street libraries in the coming days.

It is pertinent to mention here that after Karachi, Hyderabad is all set to get its first street library on the Independence Day of Pakistan which is being celebrated across the country today.

The Hyderabad administration has developed a street library at city’s iconic “Thadi Sadak” (cool breeze road), which would be inaugurated today.

The deputy commissioner of Hyderabad in a tweet earlier said that the work on Hyderabad’s first street library has almost been completed and he will inaugurate the project on the Independence Day (today).

ISLAMABAD, AUG 14 (DNA) : President Dr. Arif Alvi Friday conferred Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest Civil Award of the country, on the veteran Kashmiri Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Geelani on Pakistan’s Independence Day for his services and sacrifices in the Kashmiris’ ongoing struggle for securing their right to self-determination.

Nishan-e-Pakistan was conferred on Syed Ali Geelani during a prestigious flag hoisting ceremony at the President House in Islamabad. The award was received by the Hurriyat AJK leaders on behalf of Syed Ali Geelani.

In the award giving ceremony, today, glowing tributes were paid to Syed Ali Geelani for his unwavering commitment, dedication and leadership and his role in exposing Indian atrocities, suppressive measures and human rights violations in occupied Kashmir.

Also, concern was expressed over continued unjustified house arrest of the veteran Hurriyat leader in frail health at the age of 90 years.

Addressing the ceremony, Dr. Arif Alvi said, “Pakistan will not leave Kashmiris alone. The Kashmir issue has been debated at the UN Security Council for four times during the last one year, which is a big success of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

“Pakistan has also released its political map, reflecting true aspirations of its people as well as Kashmiris. The new map shows Pakistan’s principled stance on Kashmir issue.”

ISLAMABAD : A flag hoisting ceremony was held at President House this morning as a part of the celebrations of the country’s 74th Independence Day.

Addressing the ceremony after hoisting national flag, President Dr Arif Alvi said the country faced multiple challenges after it came into existence in 1947 as it rendered thousands of sacrifices in war on terror and eventually overcame the menaces of terrorism and extremism.

He said Pakistan generously hosted as many as 3.5 million Afghan refugees, out whom 2.7 million are still residing in the country, in stark contrast to western countries that didn’t even take in one hundred immigrants.President Alvi maintained Pakistan responded to Indian belligerence with peace overtures, slamming the neighbouring country for making the lives of its minorities miserable.

He expressed solidarity with Kashmiris, who, he said, have been facing the worst human rights violations at the hands of Indian occupation forces, particularly after August 5 move of the occupied region’s annexation.

He reaffirmed Pakistan’s support to Kashmiris in their cause, adding Pakistan will not leave Kashmiris alone. He said Kashmir issue has been taken up at the UN Security Council four times during the last one year, which is a huge success of Pakistan’s foreign policy.

The president said Pakistan has also released its political map, reflecting the true aspirations of its people as well as Kashmiris, adding d the new map shows Pakistan’s principled stance on Kashmir issue.

Highlighting the ruling PTI’s performance during two years of its tenure, President Alvi said the government launched an effective campaign against corruption in line with the vision of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said the government devised an effective strategy against coronavirus pandemic, including smart lockdown policy, due to which coronavirus has largely been brought under control. Unlike some countries, he added, Prime Minister Khan did not resort to a complete lockdown, realising that it will badly impact daily wagers. He said several countries wanted to replicate Pakistan’s policies on coronavirus pandemic.

He expressed gratitude to healthcare professionals for helping turn the tide against the pandemic.

The president said Pakistan band together nations to fight the menace of extremism. He said the PTI government brought in Ehsaas Cash Emergency Programme under which cash handouts were given to 16.9 million deserving people.

He said the country’s economy is on the mend despite downturn in world economies brought on by the contagion.

Alvi emphasised that nations can get rid of poverty by bringing improvement in the education and health sector.  A uniform curriculum will play a key role in fostering patriotism and progress in the country, he added.