Efforts Under Way To Make Murree, Surrounding Areas Ideal Tourist Resort: Commissioner

RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Oct, 2021 ) :Commissioner Rawalpindi Division, Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah on Friday said that all-out efforts would be made to make Murree and surrounding areas an ideal tourist resort as per vision of the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

He said, efforts would be made to provide all possible facilities like hotels, motels, recreational areas for children, beautiful clusters and even forest areas to facilitate the tourists.

The Commissioner directed the authorities concerned to finalize the building by-laws till Oct 9 and the by-Laws of Kotli Sattian and Kahuta should also be presented so that the tourism services could be regulated.

A high level meeting on Kotli Sattian, Murree Authority was held here under the chairmanship of Member National Assembly, Sadaqat Ali Abbasi and Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Syed Gulzar Hussain Shah in which Secretary Tourism, Deputy Commissioner Rawalpindi, Director General, Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA), Chairman RDA, Officers from Engineering Department, AC Kotli Sattian and other officers concerned participated.

During the meeting, various suggestions for construction of various alternative roads to make Murree, Kahuta and Kotli Sattian more attractive and tourist destinations were considered in detail while the meeting also comparatively reviewed Murree Municipal Committee and Kaghan by-laws.

In a briefing, ADC Finance elaborated Kotli Sattian and Murree by-laws and said that strict implementation of the by-laws should be ensured to resolve the traffic, parking and other issues being faced by the tourists.

The cutting of over 20 years old trees must be banned besides ensuring observance of Wildlife laws during construction work and strict legal action should be taken against the rules violators, he added.

Sadaqat Ali Abbasi on the occasion said that Kahuta, Kotli Sattian and Murree building by-laws should be like Kaghan. Section 144 should also be imposed for three months in some areas of Murree to stop private construction work so that the road construction work could be completed in time.

Sadaqat Alo Abbasi said that Murree is the only tehsil in which there are more than 500 hotels and motels. During eid holidays, nearly 170,000 vehicles entered in Murree due to which the tourists faced some problems including traffic and parking issues.

He also stressed on the importance of setting up a Murree Development Authority.