Travel Agents Association of Pakistan (TAAP) has demanded of the government to give compensation to the people associated with travel business who suffered losses during the protests in Lahore against the blasphemous caricatures appearing in some Western newspapers.
Addressing a news conference at Lahore Press Club on Thursday, Shuja Farid, Regional chairman, Zone-B and Aleem Javed Chaudhry, vice-chairman and other office-bearers of the association condemned the publication of blasphemous caricatures in Western media, which they said hurt the sentiments of the entire Muslim Ummah. However, they were of the view that the way adopted by the religious outfits to register their protest was deplorable. "By destroying our own properties not only we have gained nothing also but damaged our Islamic identity."
Being situated on main roads of the city the travel agents' offices were the worst hit by the unruly crowd, said Aleem Chaudhry, vice-chairman of the association, adding the mob set ablaze the office of a travel agent on Davis Road, which was completely burnt. Cash and important documents including passports, visas and tickets were also burnt.
Therefore we demand that the government besides compensating the affected travel agents should also take effective measures to avoid such incident in future," he said. He also urged the interior ministry and other concerned departments to help them in issuance of passports and visas etc, which were burnt in the offices of various travel agents.
He said that over 5,000 travel agents in the country were playing an important role in promoting the foreign exchange earning tourism industry therefore, they need patronage of the government and assurance for protection of their businesses in future.
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