THE political chaos in Islamabad is becoming worse by the day. The damage it causes to businesses can be gauged from the losses I have faced owing to rallies and marches towards Islamabad by the main opposition party every now and then to create trouble for the gover-nment and the people.

I and my elder brother happen to be in the tourism business. Our company faces stiff challenges to execute the trips of our clients to the northern areas due to the closure of routes because of political upheavals.

Most of our clients are afraid to book their tickets, fearing that the routes may be closed, their hard-earned money will eventually be refunded after a lengthy delay, and their annual holidays would be wasted without spending their time in peace.

The law and order situation in the south of the country is not good either. There are security concerns at tourist spots in Sindh and Balochistan as well, and we have to cancel trips due to the risk factor.

It is also a serious challenge for any tour operator in Karachi to convince foreign tourists to visit Pakistan, and offer them a good tour package in these troubling times when we are facing a wave of terrorism. Most of the international tourists ask about the security situation of the region, and it is too hard to convince them and then to ensure their safety.

The relevant authorities should take action to save the tourism industry, and give it a chance to show the positive image of Pakistan, while promoting dometic tourism by bringing peace to the country.

Syed Areeb A. Salar
Karachi

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2024