SKARDU: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday inaugurated Skardu International Airport along with a major road link to Juglot, a town located about 45 kilometers southeast of Gilgit, to make the country’s northern areas more accessible to local and international tourists.
Addressing a public gathering at the Municipal Polo Ground in Skardu amid sub-zero temperature, Khan said that Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region had tremendous tourism potential that could bring greater economic prosperity to its people.
“After elevating the status of the airport in Skardu by turning it into an international landing strip and building the Skardu-Juglot Highway, the region will become the hub of both national and international tourists,” he said.
The prime minister said Gilgit-Baltistan had the perfect weather for winter tourism, adding that a large number of people could visit the area for skiing since other countries in the world were “facing climate change which was reducing their span of winter season.”
“Switzerland is earning US$70 billion from its tourism sector even when it is nearly half the size of Gilgit-Baltistan,” he added. “If we develop the tourism sector wisely in this region, we will have the opportunity to earn at least US$30-70 billion per year. This region is also rich from the perspective of religious tourism.”
The Pakistani government expects greater number of people to arrive in the region to explore its natural beauty after the development of the Skardu International Airport.
It also anticipates the new highway connecting Skardu and Juglot, which was also a longstanding demand of local people, to enhance mobility within the region since it will reduce the travel time between the two places from eight to about three hours.
The prime minister said he was optimistic that the overseas Pakistanis would be the first to visit the region to spend their holidays.
“This will provide livelihood opportunities to the local residents of Gilgit Baltistan,” he said.
He added that his government would also provide health cards to the residents of the region, making it easier for them to access better medical facilities.
The prime minister maintained that his administration had taken several measures to bring Gilgit-Baltistan at par with other developed areas in the country.
