SWABI: The district administration officials on Friday bound the boatmen to ensure the tourists enjoying boating in the Indus River during their visit to the Kund Park wore life jackets.

The decision was taken in the backdrop of drowning of several people in a boat capsize in Tarbela Lake in Haripur district recently.

Tabinda Tariq, Assistant Commissioner Chota Lahor, held a meeting with the boat owners of the Kund Park and informed them about the district administration’s decision, directing them to implement the directive in letter and spirit.

Ms Tariq also met with other staff of the park, but her focus was the boat owners, telling them that the government had taken decision that they had to ensure life jackets for tourists when they wanted to use boat for a round of the Indus River during visit to the park.

“None of the tourists is allowed to sit in the boat without wearing life jacket and this must be ensured by the boat owners,” she told them, adding that in this connection the boat owners had to take extraordinary care, otherwise action would be taken against them.

Tabinda Tariq said the owners should ensure that tourists’ number did not exceed the boat’s capacity. The park management was also directed to take extra security measures to cope with any dangerous situation. They were also told to provide best facilities to tourists.

NEW TAXES REJECTED: Pakistan Chemist and Druggist Association (PCDA) members on Friday rejected the new taxes imposed by the government on the business community.

Speaking at a meeting, Sajjad Haidar, district chairman of the association, said they would support the provincial leadership’s call for protest on Saturday (today). “We will hold a protest at Karnal Sher Khan Chowk on the call of the association’s provincial leaders,” he said.

The other leaders said that the government had started increasing prices of commodities on one hand and imposing taxes on the other.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2019