DEVELOPMENTAL PROSPECTS FOR #CHITRAL

DEVELOPMENTAL PROSPECTS FOR #CHITRAL - By Wazir Ali Shah

چترال کے لئے ترقیاتی امکانات

Trade and tourism are the key indicators of economic development of any Country. Development of Chitral can be viewed from both these angles. In spite of having both the fundamentals Chitral is still ranked as deprived and backward area.

#Chitral can also turn out to be one of the developed areas, if government genuinely considers its topographical importance in term of having real beauty for #tourism and possible trade route for trade activities with central Asia and #Afghanistan.

Tourisms is one of the world’s most important industries. It encompasses transportation, hotels, retails, catering and many other transactions. Tourisms is categorized as “industry” by Ministry of Tourism and Government of Pakistan and claims to take various initiatives in form of incentives and concession for foreign investment in tourism sector. According to Federal Ministry of Industries, business and labour tourism generates 8% of GNP.

Chitral is one of the most beautiful place in the world. 

How beautiful this valley is, let quote the article of Shireen Gheba Najib published in an English Newspaper. “Having travelled through Europe and used to tourist facilities there, I realize we have a lot of homework to do….. let me take one example from Europe, Austria and one of its charming cities Salzburg (here the block bluster Hollywood film sound of music is made). The main source of income is tourism. I found many things common between Chitral and Salzburg except that landscape of Chitral is far more beautiful. And the city of Salzburg is more artistic.”

Chitral can only impress the tourists by its natural beauty and engage them in thinking to be existing in their native place. To make it more attractive tourist spot, government has to do a lot of homework and should allocate some money for enhancing tourist facilities, security assurance and preservation of pollution free environment.

Trade is one of the major developmental prospective of Chitral. International market access of Chitral through route of Central Asia and Afghanistan can definitely increase the flow of economic transactions in local economy. Few years back, Chitral Chamber of Commerce and Industries had demanded for possible trade route between Central Asia and Afghanistan, but Government is not serious to accelerate the economic activities in the region. We can keep hope for the upcoming Government to pay attention towards the development of the area, which has so far been ignored.