Lockdown inflicted huge losses on the tourism industry, laments KP minister

By Muhammad YaseenPublished On 05 Jan 2023

PESHAWAR: Labour and Culture Minister Shaukat Yousafzai said on Tuesday the lockdown restrictions enforced to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus inflicted millions of rupees worth of losses on the tourism industry.

2 million tourists had descended on tourism spots of Malakand and Mansehra last year. He added tourism is a huge industry that rakes in millions of rupees in government revenue.

Shaukat Yousafzai said 80 percent of the total industries in the province have reopened, underscoring that the only way to keep the deadly virus at bay is to follow preventive measures.

Prime Minister Imran Khan a day earlier announced the reopening of tourism industry.

The decisions to further ease the restrictions were taken at the National Coordination Committee (NCC) meeting, which was presided over by the prime minister. Speaking at a post-meeting media briefing, the premier said he was not in favour of imposing a strict lockdown which could add to the miseries of up to 150 million Pakistanis.

“The virus will spread and the number of deaths can rise. But if we have to survive, we will have to follow the SOPs,” he added.