THATTA: A British delegation of writers, journalists and political activists which arrived in Thatta a day before on a two-day visit of heritage sites and Indus delta has said that Pakistan has great potential for growth in tourism industry.

The delegation arrived on Tuesday, visited one of Asia’s biggest necropolises at Makli, Shahjahan Mosque, Keenjhar Lake and other heritage sites and then drove to the coastal town of Jhangisar where the guests played a one-day cricket match before leaving for Sehwan on Wednesday.

Talking to local media persons during their visit, Craig Murray, former diplomat-tur­ned-political activist, human rights campaigner and author of many books including Sikundar Burns: Master of the great game and Zionism is bullshit; Peter Oborne, former chief political commentator at Daily Telegraph, aut­hor of several books inclu­ding Wounded Tiger: a history of cricket in Pakistan; Jane Catherine Rose Arun­dell, Richard John Tennant, and others observed that Pakis­tan had great potential for growth in tourism.

In near past, tourists from around the world used to pour into Pakistan in large numbers to see heritage sites and lush green scenic valleys every year, they said.

Peter Oborne, who led the delegation along with their host Masood Lohar, national coordinator of UNDP-Gef small grants programme in Pakistan, said that cricket gave all Pakistanis a chance to excel and express themselves, a sense of identity and cause for pride in their country.

Members of the delegation believe that Pakistan had pulled out of the crises, particularly terrorism, by taking bold steps and it was now being steered towards the right track through politically wise governance which would ultimately bring prosperity to the country.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2019