KARACHI: Private hospitality groups in Pakistan have signed memoranda of understanding with the government to build resorts along the picturesque coastal highway in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province, a naval official said on Sunday, adding the investment will help attract local and international tourists to the country.
From the vertiginous peaks of the Kirthar Mountain to the green-carpeted valleys below, Pakistan’s Balochistan province is home to a diverse range of stunning landscapes. Prime among these is the Hingol National Park in the Lasbela district which continues to enthrall local and international tourists eager to catch a glimpse of the myriads of natural wonders that the site has to offer.
From a distance, one can see the Princess of Hope – a natural rock formation that gives the impression of a woman looking beyond the horizon – even as the Chandragup mud volcanoes and Kund Malir’s scenic beaches lure visitors to the area. The Hinglaj Mata temple, which is one of the most sacred places for people of the Hindu faith, is yet another prime attraction in the province.
“We have a 1,000-kilometer coastline [in Balochistan] with an untapped potential over there. We don’t have any resorts along the coastline,” Commander Shabeeh-ul-Kabeer, deputy director of the Pakistan International Maritime Expo and Conference (PIMEC), told Arab News on Sunday.
“[But now], MoUs have been signed with hospitality industry groups to build resorts along the coastline so that people, including foreign tourists, may come to see this beautiful landscape,”he added.
Kabeer said around 20 different MoUs have been signed on the sidelines of the three-day conference that featured 133 stalls, including many by foreign companies.
“It’s just the beginning. You cannot translate it [investment pledges] right now in the digital amount, but this is a big thing as far as timing is concerned,’” the official said, adding that Dreamworld Resorts and Hotels, which is a big name in the hospitality sector, has also agreed to invest.
“Another famous [brand] Watersports came from Lahore to Karachi to sign a deal to build a watersport resort on the Balochistan coast,” the official said, adding that discussions related to the development of Sindh’s coastal belt and its islands were also discussed between relevant stakeholders during the event.
“Minister of maritime affairs today said the investment will be brought to make resorts on the islands to attract tourists,” he said.
Aamer Hammoudi, an official from Watermaster, a Finland-based company manufacturing multipurpose dredgers, said foreign exhibitors at the PIMEC got the opportunity to gauge what was happening in the Pakistani market.
“I have to say that the participation was very good. There had been a lot of activities with the right kind of visitors,” he told Arab News, adding that certain opportunities were identified through PIMEC that will materialize in the future.
“Definitely, it’s a good exhibition,” he added.
PIMEC is part of the AMAN (peace) multinational maritime exercise, which has been organized in the country every two years since 2007.
The eighth edition of the exercise, called AMAN-23, started on Friday with ships, aircraft, special operation forces, explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) marines’ teams, and observers arriving from over 50 countries to attend the event.
The exercise has been divided into the harbor and sea phases. The harbor phase involved activities such as seminars, operational discussions, professional demonstrations, international get together, and pre-sail planning of evolutions at sea.
The sea phase includes tactical maneuvers, exercises related to maritime security such as anti-piracy and counterterrorism, search and rescue, gunnery firings, and air defense exercises.
Private groups to build resorts along Balochistan’s scenic coastal highway to boost tourism
https://arab.news/gftu7
Private groups to build resorts along Balochistan’s scenic coastal highway to boost tourism
- Government, hospitality groups sign MoUs on sidelines of international maritime conference to boost tourism in Balochistan
- Around 50 countries partake in multinational maritime exercises held every two years to engage in maritime expertise exchange
Pakistan orders four-day workweek, shuts schools to save fuel amid Middle East oil crisis
- The development comes as ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran disrupt oil supplies in Strait of Hormuz, push prices past $119 a barrel
- Islamabad bans government purchases, cuts fuel allocation for vehicles as well as workforce in public and private offices by 50 percent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday announced austerity measures, including a four-day work week, cuts in government expenditures and closure of schools, to offset the impact of rising global oil prices due to an ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
Global fuel supply lines have been disrupted in the Strait of Hormuz, which supplies nearly a fourth of world oil consumption, after Tehran blocked it following United States-Israeli strikes on Iran and counterattacks against US interests in the Gulf region.
Oil prices surged more than 25 percent globally on Monday to $119.50 a barrel, the highest levels since mid-2022, as some major producers cut supplies and fears of prolonged shipping disruptions gripped the market due to the expanding US-Israeli war with Iran.
In his televised address on Sunday night, Sharif said global oil prices were expected to rise again in the coming days but vowed not to let the people bear their brunt, announcing austerity measures to lessen the impact of fuel price hikes.
“Fifty percent staff in public and private entities will work from home,” he announced, adding this would not be applicable to essential services. “Offices will remain open for four days a week. One-day additional off is being given to conserve oil, but it would not be applicable to banks.”
Sharif didn’t specify working days of the week and the government was likely to issue a notification in this regard.
He said a decrease of 50 percent was being made in fuel allocation for government vehicles immediately for the next two months, but they would not include ambulances and public buses.
“Cabinet members, advisers and special assistants will not draw salaries for the next two months, 25 percent salaries of parliamentarians are being deducted, two-day salaries of Grade 20 and above officers, or those who are paid Rs300,000 ($1,067) a month, are being deducted for public relief,” he said.
Similarly, there will be 20 percent reduction in public department expenses and a complete ban on the purchase of cars, furniture, air conditioners and other goods, according to the prime minister.
Foreign trips of ministers and other government officials will also be banned along with government dinners and iftar buffets, while teleconferences and online meetings will be given priority.
“All schools will be off for two weeks, starting from the end of this week, and all higher education institutions should immediately begin online classes,” he said.
Sharif’s comments were aired hours after Pakistani authorities said the country had “comfortable levels” of petroleum stocks and the supply chains were functioning smoothly, despite intensifying Middle East conflict.
Petroleum Minister Ali Pervaiz Malik said three oil shipments were due to reach Pakistan this week, state media reported.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Navy (PN) launched ‘Operation Muhafiz-ul-Bahr’ to safeguard national energy shipments, the Pakistani military said on Monday, amid disruptions to critical sea lanes due to the conflict.
The navy is conducting escort operations in close coordination with the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), according to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing. It is fully cognizant of the prevailing maritime situation and is actively monitoring and controlling the movement of merchant vessels to ensure their safe and secure transit.
“With approximately 90 percent of Pakistan’s trade conducted via sea, the operation aims to ensure that vital sea routes remain safe, secure, and uninterrupted,” the ISPR said on Monday. “Currently, PN ships are escorting 2 x Merchant Vessels, one of which is scheduled to arrive Karachi today.”
