The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has put in place all the necessary arrangements to ensure law and order and to extend maximum facilitation to the tourists during the upcoming Eid holidays in the province. Comprehensive plans have been chalked out for the tourist areas including Hazara and Malakand divisions in this regard.
In order to review the arrangements to this effect, a high level meeting was held here on Friday with Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan in the chair. Chief Secretary Dr. Shehzad Bangash, Inspector General of Police Moazzam Jah Ansari, Principal Secretary to CM Amjad Ali Khan, administrative Secretaries of concerned departments and Director General Rescue 1122 attended the meeting. Commissioners and RPOs of Hazara and Malakand also attended the meeting via video link. Briefing about the security plan and other arrangements made to facilitate the tourists during the Eid holidays in Hazara and Malakand Divisions, it was informed that all the arrangements with regard to the security of tourists and facilitations have been completed.
The meeting decided that local administration, police, Rescue 1122, Tehsil Municipal Administration, health centers and all other relevant departments in the districts with tourists’ potential will remain on high alert during the Eid holidays whereas Commissioners, RPOs, Deputy Commissioners, DPOs and Assistant Commissioners would also be present in their respective stations.
Written directives were been issued to all Commissioners and RPOs to this effect. The authorities were told that necessary steps should be taken to ensure availability of petrol, diesel and food items in substantial quantity in Hazara and Malakand divisions.
Besides, dedicated help-lines would be established to facilitate the people at tourist sites. Special arrangements have been made to maintain the flow of vehicular traffic and to avoid possible road blockage during the Eid holidays in the province.
The participants were informed that mobile workshops, fork lifters and mobile canteens would also be available in the tourist areas. Besides, in order to ensure the security of tourists, cops would be deployed at tourist sites in special uniform. Moreover, availability of necessary medical staff and medicines at all health care facilities would be ensured to provide timely first aid to tourists in case of an emergency and control rooms were being set up to cope with any emergency situation.
Similarly, heavy machinery would be available for immediate rehabilitation and clearance of roads closed due to possible landslides.
The meeting was informed that the holidays of Rescue 1122 personnel across the province had been cancelled on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr, therefore rescue stations across the province would remain open during the Eid holidays. Emergency medical equipment and other supplies had been provided to all rescue stations.
Beside, rescue 1122 was setting up special camps at various tourist destinations while divers’ teams along with rescue equipment would remain on alert at rivers, dams and other swimming places. While expressing satisfaction over the arrangements made for provision of facilities and security to the tourists in the province on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, the Chief Minister directed the concerned authorities to ensure implementation of the plan prepared for this purpose in letter and spirit.
He further directed that special attention should be paid to ensure availability of food items, petrol and diesel in abundance during the Eid holidays and foolproof arrangements should be made for the security of tourists in view of the prevailing situation. The Chief Minister has also directed to put in place an effective mechanism of coordination among the local administration, rescue agencies, medical centers and concerned stakeholders for immediate action in case of any unpleasant situation.
He further directed that information banners for tourists should be displayed at the entry points of all the districts. He said that the provincial government would extend all possible support to the local administration in this regard.