Pakistan possesses plenty of potential tourist draws, from prime examples of Mughal and Buddhist architecture to some of the world’s highest mountains. But in recent years convincing foreigners to come visit Pakistan’s wonders has been an uphill battle.

If a raging Taliban insurgency wasn’t enough to deter would-be tourists, the revelation this past May that Osama bin Laden had been living for years in one of the country’s resort towns convinced even intrepid travelers to stay home.

“Tourism is next to nil,” Mehr Tarar, a columnist for Pakistan’s Daily Times, wrote last week. “To tempt people from any country to visit Pakistan would be more difficult today than to outline a workable peace plan between Palestine and Israel.”

Still, local tourism officials are trying, but their efforts sometimes border on the delusional or the pathetic.

This past summer Karachi’s chamber of commerce organized an event to attract foreigners titled “My Karachi: an Oasis of Harmony” during that city’s deadliest violence spree on record. Last winter, the owners of Pakistan’s only skiing resort declared it reopened years after the Taliban had destroyed the resort’s only hotel and chairlift. The problem? The hotel and chairlift are still in ruins, and skiers were forced to carry their skis uphill before hitting the slopes.

Other times the timing was not quite right. Pakistan’s government declared 2007 the “Visit Pakistan Year,” but that year also happened to be the birth year of the Pakistani Taliban, a group that has claimed responsibility for nearly every bombing that has taken place in the country since then.

After a decentralization process that was carried out last year, Pakistan’s tourism ministry was dissolved and the responsibility for tourism promotion was devolved to the provincial governments.

Armed with some of the country’s most spectacular scenery, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province — formerly known as North-West Frontier Province — has decided to forge ahead with aggressive tourism promotion.

At the end of last year, the province announced plans to revive a steam train between the province’s capital Peshawar and the Khyber Pass on the Afghan border. Earlier this month, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa participated in the International Tourism Fair in Madrid, the first Pakistani presence at the fair in more than a decade. Also this week, Peshawar’s chamber of commerce issued a blueprint to revive the province’s tourism sector.

Whether any of these efforts will pan out remains to be seen. Local tourism promoters bemoan the country’s bad rap and point out that most foreign tourists go back home unharmed, but Pakistan’s reputation for violence and instability still looms large in the minds of outsiders. The fate of two Swiss tourists abducted in July remains unknown.

At Takht-i-Bahi, a sprawling Bhuddist complex in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and a World Heritage site, longtime guide Iftikhar Ali said the number of foreigners who visited the site last year reached a grand total of 13. As recently as 2004, foreigners were a daily sight at Takht-i-Bahi. Now the site’s curators have closed underground chambers for fear that they be used by the Taliban to hide bombs.

Ali said improving the region’s security is the only sure way to bring back the foreign crowds.

“Before 9/11, many foreigners came here,” he said. “When the situation gets better many will come back.”

MORE forced marriages will come to light in New Zealand, says an ethnic women’s support organisation, after it was revealed a 17-year-old Pakistani girl was trapped in one for months and threatened with death by her family.

The Wellington girl, who cannot be identified, was tricked by her Muslim parents into marrying a 21-year-old distant relative in 2010, despite her objection to getting married, the Dominion Post reported.

Her husband tried to have sex with her but she threatened to call the police. For two months, she was not allowed to leave the house or use the phone.

She managed to escape and went to the police and ethnic women’s support organisation Shakti. Her marriage has since been annulled and her parents have returned to Pakistan.

Her father has told her he will kill her if he sees her again.

Shakti says it has dealt with more than 25 cases of forced marriage in Auckland and Wellington in the past two years.

The basic motivation behind its closure is to stem the companies losses anticipated in 2011 and 2012.

Nihal Akbar, finance head of Malaysia Airlines, said, “The decision is not abrupt. The airline had decided to wrap up its operations in Pakistan last year in September. According to our information, the government of Malaysia informed
the government of Pakistan about the pending closure in October last year.”

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) claims that Malaysia Airlines decision to cease its operation in the country was purely based on their Business plan and not because they were facing any problems in Pakistan. A source within
CAA said, “This fact is clear because they have cut down their global operations in different countries and not only in Pakistan.”

Aviation industry officials say that government of Pakistan should increase its efforts to lure foreign airlines to country because of the immense economic advantages that the aviation industry offers to any economy. They say that
an increase in the operations of foreign airlines will help improve hotel occupancy, tourism and other associated industries that Pakistan needs in these difficult economic times.

Malaysia Airlines is not the only company that has closed down its operations in Pakistan. In recent years Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines have all closed down operations in Pakistan, usually citing
low revenues and profitability.

Malaysia Airlines decision to cease operations will affect a significant number of Pakistani students, tourists and business people who frequently travel to Malaysia and Australia through the airline.

The airline had two weekly flights from Pakistan on the Dubai-Karachi-Kuala Lumpur route. The decision will help the other airlines operating on this route like Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways as nearly all of the Pakistani traffic
of Malaysia Airlines will now be diverted to these airlines.

Pakistan last week refused to receive Grossman in view of the parliamentary review of future relationship with the U.S.

The US ambassador Cameron Munter met Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Tuesday and discussed ways how to revive normal relationship, sources told Online.

The meeting took place ahead of the debate of the future relationship between the two countries and terms of engagement.

The two-day envoys conference had floated suggestions and the Parliamentary Committee on National Security had finalized the recommendations with its in-put.

The sources informed that the FM and the US envoy discussed options to put on track Pakistan-US relations damaged in the wake of November 26 NATO attack on two Pakistani posts and killing of 24 soldiers in Mohmand agency.

The sources said that Pakistan is likely to invite the Marc Grossman to bridge the gap widened after Islamabad’s last week’s snub to him.

“Pakistan desires a fruitful meeting with Grossman and it was only possible once the parliamentary process would have been completed,” they said.

“The two sides also discussed the upcoming meeting between Pakistani officials and the US special envoy. They also discussed the possible future relations between Islamabad and Washington,” the sources said.

After the NATO attack, Pakistan blocked supply to it via its land and ordered US to vacate Shamsi base, believed to be operative station of US spy aero plane.

The US and several NATO countries had vowed to launch an impartial probe into the attack. But in the report, responsibility was put on the shoulders of Pakistani forces along with NATO/ISAF. Pakistan objected over findings of the report.

Since November 26, Pakistan-US relations remain suspended because Pakistani officials empowered the parliament to review and evaluate Pakistan foreign policy specifically Islamabad relations with US and its role in war on terror.

And the matter was handed over to Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS). In December, Pakistan also called in its key envoy from several countries’ capital to make some practical recommendations for reviewing its policies and relations with US as well as NATO countries.

The recommendations were sent to PCNS for approving to be sent to the parliament, which has to take final decision for implementation. According to the officials, the joint session of the parliament for this purpose would be held next month. And conclusion of the session talks with US officials would be kicked off.

The meeting was arranged in collaboration with Make-A-Wish Foundation India which is actively supported by Salman Khan who is also a member of the foundation..

A special ceremony was organized at the Mehboob Studios in Mumbai where the children met Salman Khan. The children were dressed in Salman’s getup of Dabangg and Bodyguard and with little Hubaiba dressed as Rajo (Sonakshi Sinha from Dabang). Salman Khan hugged the children and spent considerable time and entertained the ailing children from Pakistan. He also made them watch the shooting of his current movie under production.

The children presented him a letter signed by other ailing children in Pakistan inviting Salman Khan to Pakistan to meet them since they could not travel to India to meet the renowned actor due to their illness. He promised to take time out from his busy schedule to visit Pakistan for meeting the ailing children.

Mrs. Zareen Khan Yousafzai, Board Member of Make a Wish Pakistan presented Salman Khan with a Traditional Sindhi cap and Ajrak; symbols of the Sindhi culture and civilization for thousands of years. As it is an old Saying; “A bust of a king priest excavated at Mohenjo-daro shows him draped over one shoulder in a piece of cloth that resembles an Ajrak.” All the people of Sindh have an emotional attachment with these cultural symbols. Over the years, Ajrak has become prime symbol of Sindhi culture.

On the occasion, Mrs. Zareen Khan Yousafzai commented that “Adorning Salman Khan with the Sindhi cap and Ajrak is a privilege for PIA and Pakistan”. Besides, official models of Boeing 777 aircraft, and other traditional gifts were presented to Salman Khan and his brother Sohail Khan who was also present on the occasion. Mrs. Yousafzai further extended the good wishes from Pakistan and from PIA to the Salman Khan’s family.

Malaysia Airlines on Monday ceased its operations from Pakistan – a decision that will affect a significant number of Pakistani students, tourists and business people who frequently travel to Malaysia and Australia through the  airline.

Malaysia Airlines has embarked on a significant route rationalisation exercise as part of its Business Plan announced in December last year, to stem its losses anticipated in 2011 and 2012. The airline is gradually cutting its operations on seven loss-making routes, including the Dubai-Karachi-Kuala Lumpur route – a significant one for Pakistani travellers to the Pacific Rim.

The airline had two weekly flights from Pakistan on the Dubai-Karachi-Kuala Lumpur route. The decision will help the other airlines operating on this route like Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways as nearly all of the Pakistani traffic of Malaysia Airlines will now be diverted to these airlines.

Malaysia Airlines is only the most recent international airline leaving Pakistan in recent years. Singapore Airlines, Lufthansa and Swiss International Air Lines have all closed down operations in Pakistan over the last few years, usually citing low revenues and profitability.

Industry officials believe that the remaining airlines on these routes will increase their fares owing to the increase in number of passengers and a reduction in competition, which will hurt Pakistani travellers most.

As for Malaysia Airlines itself, it appears to have arrived at this decision after careful deliberation, even though its announcement appears somewhat abrupt.

“The decision is not abrupt. The airline had decided to wrap up its operations in Pakistan last year in September,” Nihal Akbar, finance head of Malaysia Airlines, told The Express Tribune. “According to our information, the government of Malaysia informed the government of Pakistan about the pending closure in October last year.”

While Malaysia Airlines dominated the market for Pakistanis travelling to Malaysia, the traffic did not seem to be enough to sustain the route. Akbar estimates that about 35,000 to 40,000 Pakistanis travel to Malaysia every year. Most of these are tourists, students and business people. Pakistan International Airlines, which runs two flights a week to Kuala Lumpur, is now likely to benefit from the flow of this traffic.

Another segment of business that Malaysia Airlines used to capture, but now will not be able to, is that of people travelling between Pakistan and Australia, a large and growing market as the number of Pakistani students and immigrants in Australia expands. Most of these people now travel through Hong Kong or Dubai, which is both costlier and takes more time. Malaysia Airlines’ only real competitor for this route – Singapore Airlines – had already left Pakistan.

According to Malaysia Airlines’ website, the company’s focus area includes Southeast Asia, Greater China, North Asia and South Asia. Yet it now appears that South Asia does not seem to include Pakistan.

The company’s focus on those regions appears motivated by a burgeoning middle class and increased global and intra-regional trade. Malaysia Airlines plans to increase frequencies to key regional cities to benefit from the strong growth in regional demand.

A spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that decision of Malaysia Airlines was purely based on economic reasons and not because they had any problems in Pakistan. “This fact is clear because they have cut down their global operations in different countries and not only in Pakistan,” he added.

Aviation industry officials say that government of Pakistan should increase its efforts to lure foreign airlines to country because of the immense economic advantages that the aviation industry offers to any economy. They say that an increase in the operations of foreign airlines will help improve hotel occupancy, tourism and other associated industries that Pakistan needs in these difficult economic times.

This was stated by Pakistan Ambassador to Thailand Sohail Mahmood while talking to University of Agriculture Faisalabad (UAF) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan in VC Chamber here on Saturday.

He said that in this regard, Thai biggest Halal meat organization CB Group was interested in investing in Pakistan by establishing farms, processing units and slaughtering houses.

Thailand is being ranked one of the largest exporters of the Halal meat, he said, adding that total turnover of the CB group was 20 billion dollar, investing in 14 countries.

The envoy maintained that the Thai investment will open a new avenue of the employment. He said that Pakistan was enjoying four seasons and producing a large number of livestock and crops. He said Pakistan was third largest producer of the milk.

By using the proper milk processing the country can heavy foreign exchange. He said that it is the matter of great concern that our farmers were using the old practice of cultivation. The trend must be curtailed by giving awareness to the farming community about latest practices.

He also said that Thailand was earning heavy money by tourism as the set target of the year was 18 million tourists which is the one over ten of the total pollution of Pakistan.

He stressed the need for setting up meat processing units across the country that would pave way to give our meat as the one of the best.

Lauding the steps of the university and its good well across the country, he said that the group was intended in setting up the farms, processing units and slaughtering houses at the UAF in collaboration with the university.

Prof Dr. Iqrar Ahmad Khan stressed the need for more cementing ties with the country. He said that the country was proving its mettle on the horizon of Halal food and there are many avenues to cooperate the country. Later, the envoy visited livestock and poultry farms at the UAF.