Ambassador Masood Khan and Minister Raja Nasir Ali Khan
Tourism Industry Can Strengthen People-to-People Ties between US and Pakistan
By Elaine Pasquini
Washington: On January 30, 2024, following the successful two-day Travel and Adventure Show held in New York wherein Pakistan received the “Best in-Show” award, Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States, met with Raja Nasir Ali Khan, Minister for Planning & Development Gilgit Baltistan, at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC.
The ambassador congratulated the minister for organizing a successful show that had the potential of catapulting Pakistan’s tourism to new heights. “The tourism industry of Pakistan can play a significant role in cultivating better people-to-people ties and linkages between Pakistan and the United States,” he said.
Showcasing mesmerizing vignettes of Pakistan’s landscape, culture, and history, the Pakistan Pavilion at the New York exhibition “captivated the international community and evoked great interest in Pakistan’s rich cultural and tourism potential,” Ambassador Khan noted. “It augers well not only for the tourism industry but also for the image building of the country.”
Discussing the growing interest of Americans in Pakistan’s tourism, Nasir Ali Khan said that US tourists were the second highest in numbers visiting Gilgit Baltistan annually for a broad range of tourism, including adventure and ecotourism, among others. He also briefed the ambassador on various steps being taken to improve infrastructure to facilitate foreign visitors.
In addition, various government initiatives to assist the youth of Gilgit Baltistan are being undertaken which focus on establishing IT parks, vocational institutes, and winter sports facilities for both boys and girls, he pointed out.
The Gilgit Baltistan government in collaboration with USAID and the Rupani Foundation is organizing an “Invest in Pakistan Conference-II” for May this year to encourage investors, especially members of the Pak-American community, to invest in various sectors, including tourism, hospitality, tech, minerals, renewable energy, health, education and clean drinking water, Nasir Ali Khan said.
With respect to international support for the education sector in Gilgit Baltistan, Ambassador Khan highlighted the contributions made by Mrs Diana MacArthur, who was a driving force behind the creation of the Center for Educational Excellence in the village of Murtazaabad in the Hunza Valley of Gilgit Baltistan.
Speaking on the telephone with Mrs MacArthur, Nasir Ali Khan thanked her for her invaluable contributions toward promoting education in Gilgit Baltistan. He also proposed the establishment of another educational center in the region and offered his support for this important endeavor.
Acknowledging the generous support provided by the US government, civil society, philanthropists, and the Pak-American community, Ambassador Khan observed that educational cooperation was one of the major planks of strong Pak-US ties.
The government of Pakistan, the ambassador stated, greatly appreciates US support in providing Pakistani youth with greater opportunities to study in the United States and hone their skills to become productive members of society.
(Elaine Pasquini is a freelance journalist. Her reports appear in the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs and Nuze.Ink.)
