Amjad Hadi Yousafzai
ABBOTTABAD : On the directives of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Muhammad Sohail Khan Afridi’s Special Assistant for Tourism and Culture Malik Adil Iqbal and Chief Secretary Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shahab Ali Shah, a special awareness campaign for the convenience, guidance and safety of tourists visiting different parts of the province, particularly Galiyat, is being carried out in full swing.
As part of the campaign, journalists from Peshawar were given a special briefing at the Tourism Facilitation Centre in Abbottabad, organized by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority. Speaking to journalists on the occasion, Culture and Tourism Officer Saima Imran said that during the awareness campaign, personnel of the Tourism Police and Rescue 1122 are playing an important role in providing tourists with necessary information, promoting precautionary measures and guiding them, while written awareness material is also being distributed among tourists.
She said that on the directives of Special Assistant to the Chief Minister for Tourism Malik Adil Iqbal, Secretary Tourism Saadat Hassan and Director General of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Authority Shahid Khan, special attention is being given to protecting the lives of tourists at tourist destinations, rivers and streams. The objective is to prevent unfortunate incidents in Swat, Saifullah Lake, Naran, River Kunhar and other tourist areas.
Saima Imran said that heavy rainfall and rising water levels in rivers and streams are expected during the monsoon season. Therefore, awareness is being created among tourists to avoid going near fast-flowing water or entering rivers and streams. She said that several unfortunate incidents have occurred in the past in which tourists lost their lives while taking photographs, selfies and making TikTok videos.
She further said that there are several remote tourist destinations where personnel of the Tourism Department, Tourism Police and Rescue 1122 are not permanently present. Therefore, tourists visiting such areas must exercise extra caution themselves. Even a minor act of negligence can lead to a major tragedy. Tourists should remain informed about weather and river conditions, stay away from dangerous locations and strictly follow the instructions issued by the administration.
Saima Imran said that the basic objective of the awareness campaign is to provide tourists with a safe and pleasant tourism environment, for which the relevant institutions are performing their responsibilities through mutual cooperation. She urged tourists to give priority to their own safety and that of their families alongside recreation so that any untoward incident can be avoided at the scenic tourist destinations of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
