MANSEHRA: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has finalised a master plan to divide Kaghan Valley into nine zones to attract tourists while preserving its natural essence.

“We have finalised the master plan and are now going to implement it in Naran, Kaghan and Battakundi as under this initiative the natural essence of the valley will be preserved, and construction of commercial, health and education facilities will only be allowed in specified areas,” tourism secretary Sadaat Hassan told a meeting at the deputy commissioner’s office on Saturday.

The participants included the deputy commissioner, representatives of the wildlife and forest departments, the Kaghan Development Authority and the tehsil administration of Balakot.

The secretary, who also visited Kaghan and Manoor valleys during his trip and inaugurated the Bala to Seri Road and a chairlift, said that the government had been working on the master plan since August last year.

He said that under the master plan, locations had also been identified for schools, hotels, healthcare facilities, and tourist points and that Manoor Valley had also been included in the strategy.

Official says working to promote tourism, boost hospitality industry

“We have been working under the chief minister’s good governance initiatives, which aim at boosting the hospitality industry and promoting tourism to its full potential,” he said.

Mr Hassan said last Eid, over 0.3 million tourists visited the province, including Kaghan, Nathiagali, Kamrat and Swat.

He said that the prosperity and development of the people of Kaghan Valley and other such destinations throughout Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were linked to tourism, and the government was taking steps to further enhance it by attracting both foreign and local visitors and building state-of-the-art infrastructure.

“We are also working to highlight the soft and positive image of our province through tourism, as parts of it were previously affected by militancy, which had impacted the hospitality industry,” he said.

KILLED: A youngster was killed over a monetary dispute in Lower Kohistan district.

“The youngster was killed over old enmity, and after registering the FIR, we have started raids to arrest the accused,” an official of the Lower Kohistan police told reporters on Saturday.

Mir Baz, according to residents, was on his way home when assailants opened indiscriminate fire, leaving him seriously injured. He was taken to a nearby health facility, where doctors pronounced him dead.

The body was later handed over to the family after completion of medico-legal formalities.

Residents said the family of the slain youngster had an ongoing enmity with Mohammad Ayub whose son was seriously injured about two months ago over a monetary issue.

HAJ ARRANGEMENTS: Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Mohammad Yusuf has said that the government has made outstanding arrangements for 179,000 pilgrims this year in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“This year, we [the government] will provide excellent Haj services to pilgrims in the Kingdom, just like those offered by private tour operators,” the minister told reporters here.

Mr Yusuf said that he recently concluded his official visit to Saudi Arabia, where he met his counterpart and other officials and discussed arrangements for the upcoming Haj.

He said the first Haj flights would depart from different airports across the country for Saudi Arabia on April 17, and all arrangements had already been completed.

“The Saudi Haj minister and adviser to King Salman assured me of the Kingdom’s full support in providing excellent arrangements and facilities,” he said.

The minister said the government was going to regularise Umrah under the Haj and Umrah Act 2021 to organise religious visits similar to Haj, and formalities were being finalised.

“Through this, we would determine financial packages and curb crimes committed by those travelling under the guise of religious trips,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2026