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Jashn e Chitral 2008
It was indeed heartening to know that the Frontier government has
decided to officially organise the annual cultural event by the
name of Jashn e Chitral. I remember the third Jashn e Chitral in
2004 wherein very few members of the conservative segment of the
local community did not allow the organisers to hold this event at
a public sport ground due to which it was shifted to Chitral
Scouts’ premises.
The only festival in the entire NWFP which provides the
participants and the spectators a unique opportunity to partake and
witness the traditional games and music of Chitral was threatened
by the MMA government in the province for the last five years.
Although Sarhad Tourism Corporation (STC) is the body responsible
for promotion of tourism and cultural events in the province
however, due to limited financial resources or lack of proper
planning they are unable to achieve their objectives in the
province.
Through your esteemed online paper, I would like to make a few
suggestions to the sports and culture ministry of NWFP for the
promotion of tourism in general and cultural eco tourism in
particular in NWFP:
1. The role of STC should be redefined and an annual plan should be
developed by them.
2. STC should be bequeathed with a sufficient amount of funding
from the provincial govt.
3. STC must open representative offices in each district and tehsil
headquarters.
4. STC should take lead role in organizing cultural events such as
Jashn e Chitral in the province instead of playing a sleeping
partner’s role which it is doing at present.
5. There should be an official calendar of events fully funded by
the government and Jashn e Chitral must be a part of this.
6. There should be STC owned hotels and motels in Chitral and other
settled districts of NWFP.
7. As there is a political turmoil in Afghanistan for the last many
years, hence the border joining Nuristan province of Afghanistan (Arandu)
is not feasible for tourists to enter Pakistan or Afghanistan.
Therefore, the border points at Darwazah Pass of Broghil and Shah
Salim of Gobor valley should be declared as tourist entry and exit
points. This would help promote tourism in the region at a larger
extent as tourists coming from Gilgit side would not fear of visa
expiry and cross into Afghanistan’s province of Badakhshan which is
politically stable. They can then move on to Tajikistan through
Faiz Abad and vice versa.
8. An aggressive media campaign to promote Chitral as the most
peaceful and safest tourist destination of NWFP should be run in
national and international electronic media in view of the ongoing
War on Terror in Swat and FATA. Direct PIA flights from Islamabad
will provide tourists a safer route avoiding the restless regions.
9. In order to promote the local arts and craft, the provincial
government should help equip the local artisans with modern tools
and should establish a display centre in Chitral.
10. In order to create awareness about cultural eco tourism in the
area, training camps and study tours should be organised for the
local youth and entrepreneurs.
There could be a thousand suggestions for promotion of tourism in
Chitral but, the question remains the same: Are we really committed
to promote tourism in the area? If so, then the provincial
government should make a solid and stable policy in this regard so
that successive governments may not interfere in matters related to
tourism.
SaifudDin.
Lahore.
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