Green Tourism Limited of Pakistan has been given long term leases for at least 44 tourism sites in Gilgit-Baltistan region. It is a new company owned by Pakistan Army and has been established under the guidance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC). According to official listings in the public domain, the new company was registered on January 26, barely a fortnight before the February 8 elections in the country.
Like all other sectors and utilities, the company has now paved the way for the Pakistan Army to run hotels and other tourism facilities. Incidentally, the Pakistan Army runs huge commercial entities all over the country, starting from gas and petrol stations to housing colonies. It also runs many industrial units and there is hardly a sector in which the Pakistan Army is not involved.
The details regarding the leased out properties came out after the Gilgit-Baltistan government and the company signed the deal. It has caused simmering discontent among the masses as tourism is considered a lifeline of this beautiful area, which is currently under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. The government move has been opposed by Majlis-e-Wahdatul Muslimeen (MWM) representatives, among a host of other public representatives. The Awami Action Committee of Gilgit-Baltistan and the Das Khareem Supreme Council of Astore have also voiced their opposition to the move.
The official explanation given by the government is that the move will facilitate local and foreign investment in the tourism industry. However, most people associated with the tourism industry believe that this is just the first step towards handing over these sites to a private firm or the army. According to a report published in The Friday Times, the sites leased out for 30 years include seven Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) motels, 20 Communications and Works Department (C&WD) guest houses and 17 Forest Department sites.
At least 450 kanals of the Hoto Plantation, the biggest plantation in Skardu and 55 kanals of Forest Park, also in Skardu, the only recreational park for the public in Skardu are among the leased properties. Besides, the Baltoro Guest House in Skardu, used by officials visiting from other districts, has also gone out of the control of Gilgit-Baltistan government. The fascination of Green Tourism with the figures seems extraordinary as one official said the tourism potential of Pakistan stood at $30 billion!
An official spokesperson (speaking on behalf of Gilgit-Balstistan Chief Minister) claimed that these were loss-making properties. By leasing them out, the government hopes to get them renovated and developed, besides earning profit as rentals. The officials explained that 35% of the income generated from this investment will go to the Gilgit-Baltistan government, in addition to a 20% annual rent from the properties.
Meanwhile, it has also come into public domain that at least 17 motels of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) have also been leased to Green Tourism Limited for 30 years. According to official records, the outsourcing of those properties has been done under the guidance of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC).
Interestingly, the decisions regarding the lease of properties in Gilgit-Baltistan as also Khyber Pukhtunkhwa was taken by caretaker governments. When these properties were leased out for 30 years, the nationwide elections were less than 30 days away. The Federal government was then headed by Caretaker Prime Minister Anwarul Haq Kakar, and the KP government was also in the hands of a caretaker set-up. Incidentally, under the Pakistan Constitution, a caretaker government can remain in office only for 90 days. However, Kakar remained in situ for over 200 days in clear violation of statutory provisions.
