ISLAMABAD, Sept 26: President Gen Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said on Tuesday that Pakistan was proud to join the comity of nations in World Tourism Day with a renewed determination to earn its rightful place among attractive tourist destinations in the world.

The president and the prime minister in their separate messages for the day to be observed today said that Pakistan was a destination for special interest tours and conducive to all kinds of tourism.

The president said that Pakistan was a land of splendour and they were revitalising its tourism potential which until now had remained largely undiscovered.

He added that they could move forward only with public-private partnership.

“The private sector must come forward and play a leading role in the development of the tourism industry. The government will provide … assistance as facilitator to the investors from private sector.”

The prime minister said that the government recognised tourism as an industry.

Shaukat Aziz said: “We have recently taken decisions to promote Pakistan as a destination for international tourists. A tourist-friendly visa policy is already in place and the next year has been designated as “Visit Pakistan” year. —Online