Punjab’s cultural heritage being promoted as major tourism destination: Marriyum Aurangzeb

LAHORE, Sep 27 (APP): Senior Punjab Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said on Sunday that, under the vision of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Punjab’s rich cultural heritage and tourist destinations were being developed and promoted to boost tourism, create employment opportunities and strengthen local communities.

In her message on World Tourism Day, she said the chief minister’s vision was that tourism was not merely about recreation but also a source of economic growth, employment and peace. “From Lahore to Cholistan and Fort Munro, Punjab was a paradise for tourists,” she said, adding that facilities were being expanded at tourist destinations on the directions of the chief minister.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said a new era had begun in Punjab’s tourism and archaeology sectors under the “Magnificent Punjab” vision. The province’s first Archaeology and Tourism Expo had also been organized under the leadership of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, she added. She said mapping of 170 priority heritage sites had been completed for the first time, while scientific preservation and development work was underway at Taxila, Rohtas Fort, Harappa, Hiran Minar, Derawar and other forts of Cholistan.

The senior minister said restoration of the Rawalpindi Walled City, Lahore Railway Station, Harappa Museum and other historic buildings was also part of the government’s heritage conservation initiatives. She said Taxila was being preserved as an integrated heritage region in line with the chief minister’s directions.

An integrated archaeological park, Heritage Gateway, Living History Village and Decipherment Centre would also be developed at Harappa.

She said restoration of seven major forts of Cholistan, Derawar, Dingarh, Mojgarh, Marot, Phulara, Mirgarh and Jamgarh, was also being undertaken. She said the draft of Punjab Tourism Policy had been completed and work was under way to implement the “Magnificent Punjab” vision. She said the Punjab Tourism and Heritage Authority had been made functional and its board constituted as part of institutional reforms.

She said tourism projects were also being developed under the public-private partnership model, while facilities including floating jetties and water sports had been provided at Kallar Kahar and Dharabi.

The senior minister said three new museums were being established in Multan, Harappa and Sialkot, while several heritage sites and historic structures, including Jamgarh, Mirgarh, Kamran Baradari, Jain Mandir and Tomri Mandir, were being restored. She said Hiran Minar and Harappa had been included in UNESCO’s tentative list, while work was continuing on other heritage conservation projects.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said biodiversity parks at Changa Manga and Bansera Gali, Murree, were about 90 per cent complete. The Lahore Zoo and Safari Zoo master plans, including an aquarium, aviary and theme park, had also been completed. She said 176 personnel had been deployed as Punjab Tourism Force at tourist destinations, while a 112-member Heritage Force, including master craftsmen, had

also been established.

Under the digital and smart tourism initiative, GIS mapping and geotagging of 172 tourist destinations had been completed, while the Magnificent Punjab Tourism App was operational with AR/VR facilities for exploring heritage sites. She said adventure tourism and investment were also being promoted through projects including Dharabi Lake water sports, Chawra Hills Adventure and Kotli Sattian chairlift.

She said four major projects had been offered under the PPP model, including Heritage Village, Time Travel Park, Tourist Residency and Dhok Talian Adventure Park. She said 1,000 interns had completed Phase-I of the Magnificent Punjab Internship Programme, while 4,000 young people had been trained in Phase-II. Under the Youth Tourist Guides Programme, another 1,000 young people were being

inducted into the tourism workforce.

The senior minister said providing a safe, clean and well-equipped Punjab was the mission of Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif. She said promotion of tourism would create employment for local communities and help empower women.

“Smog-free and green Punjab will attract tourists,” she said, adding that all historic and religious sites in the province were being developed according to international standards under the chief minister’s vision.