Federal Cabinet appoints Zulfi Bukhari as PTDC chairman

Zulfi Bukhari said he was determined to bring positive changes in tourism industry

ISLAMABAD (APP) – The Federal Cabinet on Tuesday accorded approval for the appointment of Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari as Chairman of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).

According to the notification issued here, Special Assistant to Prime Minister on Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development, Sayed Zulfikar Abbas Bukhari had been appointed as PTDC Chairman.

“Transparency in PTDC, making Pakistan an International brand and strong coordination with provinces will be my top priority,” Zulfikar Bukhari said in a statement issued by his ministry soon after the ratification of the appointment proposal.

Zulfi Bukhari said he was determined to bring positive changes in tourism industry through sustained reforms. The revamping of PTDC was in process to make it more effective and productive organization, he added.

Zulfikar Bukhari, who also holds the portfolio of National Tourism Coordination Board (NTCB) chairman, said the government had also appointed a professional managing director for the PTDC to make it corruption free institution.

The government had already initiated the process of restructuring the corporation, he added.

Outlining the government’s tourism policy, the chairman said the board had evolved a two-pronged strategy to bolster tourism industry in the five years tenure of the present government.

The prime focus of the board was on strengthening domestic tourism as a part of its short term policy and would be making it a base to attract foreign tourists, investors and businessmen, he added.

The long-term policy involved the construction of beeches, resorts, five star hotels and coastal lines, the chairman explained.

To a query, he said protection of environment, culture and heritage would also be ensured as the provincial authorities had been asked to strictly follow government’s guideline in this regard.

Highlighting the role of private sector in flourishing the tourism, he said the government was committed to creating conducive environment for businessmen and had introduced several investor-friendly policies during its almost nine-month tenure.

“We cannot materialize our tourism-centric goals without the help of private sector,” he remarked.

He urged the private companies to come forward with the innovative ideas and investment plans which would help achieve the set targets of government in terms of socio-economic development.

Since Prime Minister Imran Khan was keen to exploit the potential of this sector, he said the NTCB would make all out efforts to attract maximum number of tourists in Pakistan, adding that the government’s recently introduced reforms in the Visa regime was testimony of its commitment to promote tourism abroad