Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) has initiated Green Tourism to transform the tourism landscape in Gilgit-Baltistan with a progressive new project.
The Special Investment Facilitation Council’s Green Tourism initiative, in partnership with the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, is set to transform the region’s tourism landscape by modernizing underutilized guest houses and creating job opportunities.
As part of this agreement, 44 government-owned guest houses, underutilized and financially burdensome for many years, are slated for modern renovations. The revitalization of these guest houses is expected to significantly enhance the local tourism sector and generate new employment opportunities, contributing to the area’s economic uplift.
SIFC, established to attract investments from friendly nations into key sectors, operates as a single-window facilitation platform backed by the Pakistan Army.
The initiative will streamline the investment process and enhance the ease of doing business through a ‘Whole of Government Approach,’ ensuring efficient coordination across various governmental levels for optimal investor support and regional development.
However, locals from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral have raised concerns about allocating 37 guest houses and forest sites in Gilgit-Baltistan to Green Tourism Pvt. Ltd may violate UNCIP resolutions and international law. They argue that this transfer of resources to a private entity could contravene established legal frameworks governing the administration and use of the region’s land and natural resources.
Students from Gilgit-Baltistan and Chitral at FC College in Lahore recently discussed the Green Tourism initiative. During this session, students voiced strong opposition to leasing out hotels and other properties under the initiative, labelling it as an attempt to expropriate land and property in the region. They expressed concerns that such moves could undermine local rights and heritage, calling for more inclusive and transparent decision-making processes.
