Tazeen Akhtar
The victims of ongoing rains floods in the tourist areas of Pakistan are mostly the tourists and it is very important to see what role the tourism departments of Pakistan have played so far regarding information for the tourists or warning them to avoid travel to tourist spots in these days.
Unfortunately , we can not see any role because they have not done anything in this connection. Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation and Khayber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority remained totally indifferent.
There is no warning, precautions, information on their websites about when to travel and how to save lives or what to do in case of emergency and where to go for taking refuge. Both departments have many resorts in the tourist regions but they are mostly packed with the families of influencial people and the public does not even know about any facility offered by these two departments.
A total of 234 lives have been tragically lost across Pakistan, with 596 individuals injured, 826 houses damaged, and 203 livestock perished, as rain-related hazards and flash floods continue to wreak havoc from June 26 onward, according to the latest figures shared by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
NDMA reports 234 fatalities, 596 injuries across Pakistan due to rain-related disasters
None of these travelers had any knowledge nor any contact with any tourist resort of above mentioned two gov departments that are supposed to facilitate and help out the tourists.
Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation as the federal department should have come forward in this regard but its head is limited to a few embassies to attend their events or recieve their ambassadors at his office.
PTDC, not only in present situation but in routine as well, has been totally failed to express its benefit for the domestic tourists. A commoner can hardly find a room for his family in any resort of PTDC. The public has to seek some favor from some high official to get that “big” facility. Therefore , people do not contact the resorts and make arrangements on their own.
Look at the worst state of affairs at Pakistani tourism departments that hundereds of domestic tourists died and injured but not a single line statement could be seen from any tourism official including the heads of the concerned departments and related ministers.
Pakistani officials leave no opportunity to mention the tourism potential and attractions , especially in northern areas of KP and GB but they have never stated how much improved infrastructure is there. They do not bother to see and admit that the resorts are never available for common public.
During all previous hazardous days, no coordination of tourism departments with district administrations , Rescue 1122, NDMA have been observed. This gives rise to the impression that tourism departments of Pakistan are in hands of highly irresponsible officials who are extremely ignorent of their duties.
Tourism departments should keep eye on the infrastructure, weather, climate change in tourist spots and give their feedback to the government throughout the year. Their staff should remain available at main spots at least to guide the tourists and keep in touch with the local administration during a situation like what is going on now there. But no staff or any type of presence of tourism departments have been noted anywhere.
This bad state of affairs in these departments make them equally responsible for the deaths and damages of the tourists. Government of Pakistan and KPK should take strict action against the officials of these departments. Before that , the officials themselve should tender their resignitions and accept their inability, incompetence to run these departments.
