ghazi52
PDF THINK TANK: ANALYST
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
- Messages
- 102,603
- Reaction score
- 106
- Country
- Location
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Govt can declare any area integrated tourism zone
October 01, 2019
The new law says the authority will have the powers to acquire land for the purpose of promoting tourism and developing resorts, skiing facilities, hotels and other tourism related activities.
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday passed a tourism-related bill empowering the government to declare any area in the province as an integrated tourism zone, including wildlife parks, game reserves, national parks, and protected and reserved forests.
The new law, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act, 2019, provides for the creation of the Provincial Tourism Strategy Board and the Culture and Tourism Authority with wide-ranging powers and the establishment of integrated tourism zones to which important laws, including those for forests, wildlife, environments and river protection, will not apply.
“The provincial government on the recommendation of the Tourism Strategy Board shall have the power to declare, by notification in the official Gazette, any area within the province as in integrated tourism zone,” said the law.
Under the law, the province will have the tourism police to operate under the culture and tourism authority and will create the posts of police personnel of tourism police and abolish posts as required.
The opposition lawmaker said Pakistan was signatory to more than 17 protocols and international conventions, so the government should revisit some clauses related to natural resources.
He called for the exclusion of designated lands, including national parks and reserved forests, from the domain of the authority.
Mr Inayatullah said the local communities had a right to forests, while the creation of integrated tourism zones would create issues for royalty holders.
He said the people had already purchased lands in areas which were being created integrated tourism zones.
“The new authority will follow international standard and guidelines for tourism promotion, while the government will take more steps for the conservation of forests,” he said.
The new law says the authority will have the powers to acquire land for the purpose of promoting tourism and developing resorts, skiing facilities, hotels and other tourism related activities.
The government will notify the Provincial Tourism Strategy Board within two months to be headed by the chief minister.
The board will assess the impact of any development initiative or project, public or private, and issue guidelines to bring such initiatives in line with the provincial tourism strategy.
Under the new law, there will be the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority to be headed by the director general.
Elaborating on the powers and functions of the tourism police, the law says the new force will facilitate tourists by imparting information about location, transport system, facilities, legal assistance, shopping centers, accommodation, cultural norms and medical help.
One major function of the force will be to maintain an updated record of known eve teasers, fraudsters, unauthorised tour guides, harassers, and other disreputable elements for each destination.
The government will set up the Tourism Fund.
The authority may, by regulations, require the payment of a tourism levy from persons engaged in tourism products or from tourists.
Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019
October 01, 2019
The new law says the authority will have the powers to acquire land for the purpose of promoting tourism and developing resorts, skiing facilities, hotels and other tourism related activities.
PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Monday passed a tourism-related bill empowering the government to declare any area in the province as an integrated tourism zone, including wildlife parks, game reserves, national parks, and protected and reserved forests.
The new law, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act, 2019, provides for the creation of the Provincial Tourism Strategy Board and the Culture and Tourism Authority with wide-ranging powers and the establishment of integrated tourism zones to which important laws, including those for forests, wildlife, environments and river protection, will not apply.
“The provincial government on the recommendation of the Tourism Strategy Board shall have the power to declare, by notification in the official Gazette, any area within the province as in integrated tourism zone,” said the law.
Under the law, the province will have the tourism police to operate under the culture and tourism authority and will create the posts of police personnel of tourism police and abolish posts as required.
The opposition lawmaker said Pakistan was signatory to more than 17 protocols and international conventions, so the government should revisit some clauses related to natural resources.
He called for the exclusion of designated lands, including national parks and reserved forests, from the domain of the authority.
Mr Inayatullah said the local communities had a right to forests, while the creation of integrated tourism zones would create issues for royalty holders.
He said the people had already purchased lands in areas which were being created integrated tourism zones.
“The new authority will follow international standard and guidelines for tourism promotion, while the government will take more steps for the conservation of forests,” he said.
The new law says the authority will have the powers to acquire land for the purpose of promoting tourism and developing resorts, skiing facilities, hotels and other tourism related activities.
The government will notify the Provincial Tourism Strategy Board within two months to be headed by the chief minister.
The board will assess the impact of any development initiative or project, public or private, and issue guidelines to bring such initiatives in line with the provincial tourism strategy.
Under the new law, there will be the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture and Tourism Authority to be headed by the director general.
Elaborating on the powers and functions of the tourism police, the law says the new force will facilitate tourists by imparting information about location, transport system, facilities, legal assistance, shopping centers, accommodation, cultural norms and medical help.
One major function of the force will be to maintain an updated record of known eve teasers, fraudsters, unauthorised tour guides, harassers, and other disreputable elements for each destination.
The government will set up the Tourism Fund.
The authority may, by regulations, require the payment of a tourism levy from persons engaged in tourism products or from tourists.
Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2019
