In a recent meeting held under the chairmanship of Sindh Minister for Tourism, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ayaz Soomro, it has been decided to establish a tourism university in Karachi.
For the last many years, tourists have not been visiting Pakistan due to the deteriorating law and order situation, particularly in Karachi where daily targeted killing is a common factor. In view of the prevailing situation, there is no hope that tourists would visit us, in significant number for the next many years despite our country already lacking basic infrastructure facilities. Nonetheless, international tourists visit only such a country where the law and order situation is ideal and it has basic infrastructure facilities, including standardised entertainment facilities.
Unfortunately, during the government of ex-army dictator General Ziaul Haq, the arrival of tourists was discouraged treating their arrival as an "assault" on our culture. Now the deteriorating law and order situation, daily bomb blasts and targeted killings have added fuel to the fire.
In view of the poor financial condition of the Sindh government, and no bright future for arrival of tourists for several coming years, I suggest that the Sindh government withdraw its decision to set up a tourism university in Karachi as a wastage of resources. On the contrary, if training is required for travel agents, the PIA Training Centre and other private institutes are sufficient to cater to their needs.
In view of the foregoing, I suggest that the Sindh government utilise the resources to provide much-needed infrastructure facilities for the Thar coal deposits as the nation is badly in need of electricity.