Fast-track tourism projects in key regions: PM orders immediate launch

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday directed the immediate launch of implementable, fast-track tourism projects in key regions including Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, and Islamabad, aimed at delivering early results and positioning Pakistan’s tourism sector as a major driver of economic growth.

Chairing a meeting at the Prime Minister’s Office, the premier lauded the “timely and practical” vision presented by Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan, the PM’s National Coordinator on Tourism, who unveiled a comprehensive roadmap for transforming the country into a regional hub for religious, medical, and leisure tourism.

Sardar Yasir highlighted Pakistan’s diverse natural and cultural assets — from snow-capped mountains and ancient civilisations to deserts, forests, rivers, and a vast coastline — as untapped opportunities for economic revival.

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He revealed that 20 new tourist destinations have been identified for phased development and proposed hosting a National Tourism Expo and Investment Conference in Islamabad to attract stakeholders from across the industry.

The meeting was attended by key federal cabinet members and senior officials, including Minister for Economic Affairs Ahad Khan Cheema, IT and Telecom Minister Shaza Fatima Khawaja, Railways Minister Hanif Abbasi, Culture and Heritage Minister Aurangzeb Khichi, Adviser on Inter-Provincial Coordination Rana Sanaullah, Special Assistant Huzefa Rehman, Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, and Principal Secretary Dr Tauqir Shah.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025