Daily Times

‘Pakistan is among 10 coolest places to visit in 2019’. This is what Forbes magazine said in December last. Let us also trust British Backpacker Society words which ranked Pakistan one of the top adventure travel destinations. Murree, Pakistan’s one of the coolest places, however, often does not look cool for tourists and tourism, thanks to the unwelcome conditions for tourists and tourism created by the biggest stakeholders – local residents and hoteliers. Seeing the growing altercations between tourists and local residents, which often turn into physical brawls and then go viral online, the Punjab police department has decided to raise a new unarmed force – Punjab Tourist Police – starting from Murree to stop the incidents of harassment and violence by local shopkeepers. Under the plan, unarmed personnel will man all the tourist spots of Murree, such as The Murree Mall, Pindi Point, Kashmir Point, Patriata (New Murree), Bhurban, etc. To be clad in specially designed uniform, the personnel will be given four to six weeks training on the pattern of similar forces operating in other countries like Malaysia and Thailand. Also, the Punjab Tourist Police will rescue those trapped in snowfall, landsliding and traffic jams, which are unavoidable parts of the hilly area.

Murree remains the top choice of tourists from across the county, mainly due to its cool temperature, serene beauty and proximity to Islamabad. The hill station attracts an influx of tourists every summer and during peak winter days besides on every weekend and national holidays. According to police estimates, approximately 60,000 vehicles enter Murree during the Eid holidays every year. Many tourist families have to seek police help against local hoteliers and shopkeepers for their rude behaviour and overcharging.

Besides the creation of tourism-friendly force, the Punjab government and other provincial governments must expedite work on the development of more tourism sites across the country to cater to the domestic tourists, and of course the potential foreign tourists, and to take measures turning tourism into a sector contributing to the national economy. The Punjab government has already started work on tapping the potential of scenic sites in Mianwali, Koti Sattian, Koh-i-Suleman and Attock Khurd months ago. The four planned sites with upscale facilities will not only provide the people with more choices for sightseeing and recreation, but will also provide jobs and business opportunities to the local population. The plans should be eco- and environment-friendly considering long-term needs and should be expedited on a war-footing. *