Religious tourism registered spike

Governor says after Gurdwara renovation, focus will be on other places of worship

LAHORE: For the first time in Pakistan, a Committee on Religious Tourism and Culture under my chairmanship is actively working to promote religious tourism, said Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar. Tourism is the biggest industry in the world, and the country gave a peace message to the world through the Kartarpur Corridor project, he added.

He expressed these views while addressing the International Conference on Punjab History and Culture at the University of Lahore (UoL) on Monday.

Addressing the conference, the governor said that after the renovation of Sikh worship places, the focus will be laid on Buddhist tourism and people from across the world will be attracted towards Pakistan through religious tourism. He cited that by focusing on Maryamabad, Christians from other countries will come to the country and steps are also being taken in this regard.

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Speaking to the media, the governor said that, the United Nations and the Muslim community must work together to avert a US-Iran conflict, as it will be destructive for the region. The hysteria of war must come to an end and all countries should respect each country’s integrity. “All minority communities in Pakistan will fully be protected according to the law.”

No one will be allowed to take the law into hand and there is no doubt that it is the government’s responsibility to protect the lives and properties of minority communities living in Pakistan, he further said.

Ensuring protection to minorities’ lives is the topmost priority of the government, he maintained. “No leniency will be tolerated in this regard.” The governor explained that war has never been a solution to problems. “Rather, it intensifies terrorism and extremism, which claims innocent lives.”

Today, minorities are safer in Pakistan than the rest of the world. “It is very unfortunate to say that the Indian government is resorting to suppression of minorities by targeting them through controversial laws.”

Published in The Express Tribune, January 7^th, 2020.