KARACHI: Stakeholders of the tourism industry have called for establishment of a full-fledged federal tourism ministry for promotion of tourism sector, which is suffering due to the provincial governments’ tepid response. Talking to Daily Times, veteran businessmen and ardent supporter of tourism Yahya Polani said that despite the huge potential, the provincial government were neglecting the sector. Polani was of the view that other countries have had opened their doors for tourists and offering lucrative incentive to attract them, but in Pakistan the sector was being largely ignored incurs billion of dollars loss in term of foreign exchange. “We have more than 5,000-year old history and the historical sites which can attract millions of tourists each year. In Malaysia, around 27 million tourists arrive every year while in Turkey the number stands around 40 million per year, Polani said. “Pakistan needs to showcase its northern areas, where mountaineering tourism can be promoted while Mohenjodaro and other ancient sites in Sindh offer huge opportunities, besides other historical sites located in almost all parts of the country and Azad Kashmir. Polani links the promotion of tourism industry with growth of aviation industry. “If tourism sector is taken back from the provinces and efforts are made under a federal ministry then the situation will be different. Also it will also be beneficial for the allied industries,” he maintained. In response to a question about the growth of airline industry, Polani said that overall growth was satisfactory but country needs airlines with at least 100 aircrafts in its fleet. “At present no airline, including the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), has more planes as compared to other regional and international airlines,” he added. “Once the PIA was ranked among the best airlines but now the situation has been totally changed. The successive governments have made public institutions the employment bureaus where jobs have been provided to the people beyond the capacity of the institutions. The overburdened institutions are failing to serve their purpose,” he observed. He stressed the need for more airlines with more number of aircrafts, as shortage of planes does not bode well for the country and the industry as well. About country’s economy, Polani expressed satisfaction over macro-economic picture of the country but said that despite tall claims of good governance it was no where to see. “People always talk about implementation of Article 6 of the constitution but why nobody talks about the Article 38 which guarantees the welfare of the people,” he questioned. “Many people are languishing in jails because they are unable to pay petty amounts. Government should give list to business community of those inmates who are behind the bars just because they cannot afford to pay small amounts to walk out as freemen. The business community will help them,” he claimed. Replying to a question about the recent elections of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry FPCCI, he said newly elected body of the FPCCI would have to act wisely given the current regional and international situation. “By maintaining better coordination with the government and its institutions, resolution of business communities’ problems will be a challenging task ahead,” said Polani.