Turkish investors urged to boost tourism in Pakistan's northern areas

By Masood Sattar Khan

(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Pakistan is keen for Turkey investment in the country’s northern areas bordering China to help boost tourism in the scenic region. 

The investment offer was extended by Ali Amin Gandapur, Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, in a meeting with Gokhan Umut, head of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in Pakistan. 

Around two million tourists visit these picturesque Gilgit-Baltistan areas every year, Gandapur informed Umut, emphasizing the immense potential for Turkish and other foreign investors in the region’s tourism sector. 

He informed the Turkish delegation that the government was working to set up economic zones in Gilgit-Baltistan that will open new avenues for industrial development in the region. 

The economic zones are part of the multi billion-dollar China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), an extensive network of roads, railways, and pipelines that aims to connect China’s northwestern Xinjiang province to the port of Gwadar in Pakistan’s southwestern Balochistan province. The mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan borders China is a gateway for the economic corridor.

Coronavirus Update: Sindh’s infection rate highest among provinces

By Mukhtar Alam
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

Sindh’s daily COVID-19 infection rate increased to 2.45%, against Pakistan’s overall daily infection rate of 1.44% on August 31 when the province registered 121 new cases, out of 5,247 laboratory tests, with two related deaths, during the last 24 hours.

According to official data, the provincial COVID-19 daily infection rate was 1.42%, out of 5,652 tests on August 30, 1.37% out of 6,452 tests on August 29 and 1.86% out of 5,247 tests on August 28. 

The province had an overall infection rate of 13%, against the national rate of 11%, while its COVID-19 death tally was 2,403, on August 31. 

Sindh registered 50% of the new deaths, out of four recorded throughout Pakistan. It was further learnt that as many as 171 patients were in critical condition at the various hospitals of Karachi, including 72 occupying beds in the intensive care units. 

On August 30, three patients died in Sindh, all of them from Karachi, including the one who died at home.
Karachi’s six district reported the maximum 71 of Sindh’s new cases during the last 24 hours ending August 31 morning, followed by Hyderabad (12), Jamshoro (6), Shaheed Benazirabad (5), Dadu (4), Ghotki (4), Shikarpur (4), Mirpurkhas (3), Naushero Feroze (3), Sujawal (3), Badin (2), Kambar Shahdadkot (2), Sukkur (1) and Sanghar (1).