ISLAMABAD, Aug 20: The government is ready to issue licences for sale of liquor to foreigners in the Northern Areas under the relevant rules, Minister of State for Tourism Rais Munir Ahmed said on Wednesday.

The assurance was held out in response to a supplementary question of a ruling member parliamentarian M.P. Bhindara during the question-hour session of the lower house.

Mr Bhindara had suggested to set up some outlets for the foreigners so that they could legally get liquor as Chinese- smuggled liquor was available in the country.

“We are part of the world community and cannot just close our eyes,” Mr Bhindara said, adding that the availability of liquor would help boost tourism in Pakistan.

The minister said the government was ready to provide incentives to the foreigners for the promotion of tourism, but, said the facility would only be meant for those holding foreign passports. However, the minister said nobody had yet applied for such licences.

Maulana Azam Tariq said such facility should be restricted to the foreigners and steps be taken to ensure that the facility was not misused.

The minister assured that only foreign passport-holders would be allowed to buy liquor from the outlets if set up after the issuance of proper licences.

About the promotion of tourism in the Northern Areas during the last five years, the minister said in addition to the sending of 307 mountaineering expeditions with 1,994 members and 818 groups with 4,079 trekkers to the Northern Areas, the ministry had organized an international conference on mountain tourism in Peshawar. It had also participated in the Silk Route Festival, organized a car rally between Islamabad—Sust and held international conference on Tourism at Hunza.

Similarly, celebration of the international year of mountains 2002, familiarization trips to the famous places of Northern Areas, Shandur Polo festival and distribution of information on Northern Areas were also organized.

He said the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Nanga Parbat 2003 was also organized while 50 per cent reduction in royalty for expeditions were given.

Similarly, the federal government has also established 10 facilities in the Northern Areas like motels and roadside restaurants in addition to the two tourist information centres one each at Gilgit and Skardu.

The PTDC (Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation) has been operating a daily bus service from Sust (Pakistan Checkpost) to Taskurgan (first Chinese town) for the last many years.

He said the federal government had also developed/constructed different tourist motels in the Northern Areas like Khaplu district, Ghanche (100km from Skardu), Rama Lake, Astore Valley (100km from Gilgit), Satpara Lake, Skardu district.