RAWALPINDI: Divisional Commissioner Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah on Tuesday asked the district administration to make a comprehensive plan to make hilly areas of Murree, Kotli Sattian and Kahuta more attractive for visitors.

A high-level meeting was held today under the chairmanship of Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah which was attended by Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi Mohammad Ali, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) Director General Nadeem Abro, RDA Chairman Tariq Murtaza, officials of tourism and other departments.

During the meeting, various arrangements and suggestions for making alternative roads to make Murree, Kahuta and Kotli Sattian more attractive and beautiful for tourists were discussed in detail. A comprehensive plan was considered to effectively address issues such as road closures.

Commissioner Rawalpindi Division said that beautiful places like Murree, Kahuta and Kotli Sattian would be made more attractive for tourists. He said that tourism services need to be regulated. He said by-laws had been drafted in this regard. He said that Murree and its suburbs should be made an ideal resort where hotels, motels, recreational areas for children, beautiful clusters, forest areas and places were available.

Meanwhile, divisional commissioner Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah also held a monthly meeting with all the parliamentarians of Rawalpindi Division to review district development.

The meeting was attended by MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafique, MPAs Latasib Satti, Farah Agha, Abida Raja, Raja Saghir, Javed Kausar, Chaudhry Sajid, Chaudhry Adnan and others. All the parliamentarians reviewed all the ongoing development works in Rawalpindi and expressed concern over the unfinished and incomplete projects.

The commissioner said a lot of work was being done in the district including Rawalpindi, Gujjar Khan, Taxila in connection with the removal of solid waste.

A comprehensive programme for tree plantation is being formulated under which millions of saplings will be planted.

MNA Sheikh Rashid Shafiq said the government was constructing two large dispensaries at a cost of Rs30 million. He asked the district administration to use the existing allocated funds immediately so that new funds could be released.

Published in Dawn, October 6th, 2021