MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Monday formally launched ‘tourism police’ to facilitate and look after nature lovers visiting the region from Pakistan and abroad.

The tourism police personnel – 120 in the initial phase - have been drawn from the district and reserve police in a project that has been jointly executed by the tourism department and police.

They were given one-week training by the tourism department, with instructors hired from the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab.

A colourful launching ceremony of the tourism police, who were wearing specially designed sea-green uniforms, was held at the entrance of the prime minister’s secretariat amid heavy downpour, with Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider as the chief guest.

The police were given a week’s training by the tourism department

The prime minister cut the ribbon and handed over keys of some of the six distinctively marked cars and 80 heavy duty motorbikes to the tourism police officials.

The ceremony was attended by minister for tourism and information Mushtaq Ahmed Minhas, chief secretary Mathar Niaz Rana, secretary tourism and information Midhat Shahzad, Inspector General of Police Salahuddin Mehsud, director general tourism Pirzada Irshad Ahmed, director general information Raja Azhar Iqbal and other officials.

In a briefing, the prime minister was told that a communication network had been established under the project to help tourists directly access the tourism police in the event of any emergency by dialing 1422.

In the initial stage, tourism police personnel would be deployed at Kohala, Bararkot and Azad Pattan, the three points linking Muzaffarabad and Poonch divisions with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab and recording maximum tourist traffic.

The police personnel would patrol from the entry points to the tourist spots, IGP Mehsud said, adding, they had been specially directed to ensure they behaved in a composed, respectful and polite manner with the tourists and guided, facilitated and looked after them as and where required.

Talking to reporters on the occasion, prime minister Haider said he felt proud that Kashmir and its inhabitants carried the distinction of being serene, crime free, hospitable and friendly.

Mr Haider asserted that his government had initiated a number of steps to exploit AJK’s rich potential in leisure, cultural and religious,and adventure (sports)tourism and 2019 had been declared as ‘tourism year’ with the same objectives at the back of mind.

Mr Haider also paid tributes to the federal government for taking several steps to give a boost to tourism industry in Pakistan, including smashing a restriction on foreigners to obtain a no objection certificate before travelling to AJK.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2019