Revival of tourism urged
CHITRAL: Speakers at a function here on Saturday stressed the need for revival of tourism industry to create employment opportunities and reduce poverty in the area.
The function was held to distribute certificates among the trainees of a three-month course on hotel management, jointly sponsored by Pak-Austria Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management (Paithom) and National Vocational and Technical Education Commission (Navtec). Eighty youths of the district were imparted training during the course.
Addressing on the occasion, Mohamad Hanif, Sher Aga, Shah Murad Baig and Amir Mohammad said that although Chitral was not hit directly by terrorism, yet its tourism industry was badly affected.
They said that ideal situation of peace and tranquility persisted in the area, which was mostly cherished by the tourists. There were fabulous sites to lure the tourists, they added.
The speakers said that a crash programme should be envisaged and implemented to revive the tourism. “The tourism industry has been badly affected and thousands of people are left jobless,” they added.
They eulogized the training programme for the youth, saying it would enable them to get jobs.
Speaking about the training programme, a representative of Paithom, said that the training module consisted of house keeping, beverage and food preparation and service. He added that the training was job-oriented and offered numerous opportunities to the trainees in the hotel and tourism industry.
He said that the trainees were also imparted practical training in the PTDC hotel where the course was conducted. On this occasion, the trainees including Sabira Bibi, Rahila, Shahid Ahmed and others also expressed their views about the course
CHITRAL: Had it not been for the imported second hand warm apparel readily available in the market ,underprivilleged section of the society would have been in real trouble for the want of something suitable to cover themselves in winters. Warm clothes are laid out in the streets and markets of Chitral Bazar begining October and the flea market continues till end March. Main markets for second hand clothing namely Burhan Market and Awami market present a colourful view of assortment of these ‘Kabari’ clothes as they are locally called and visitors include not only labourers but white collared officials who now do not feel shy in buying this stuff. Small shopkeepers fro updistrict pick up their stuff from these markets and sell them in their villages where the demand is even more.Two decades ago wearing old clothes was not considered very respectable, but today inflation and rising cost of living has made the use of Kabari garments an acceptable norm in the society.