Pakistan cites tourism to rebuild quake-hit Kashmir

PAKISTAN’S October 8 earthquake shattered more than homes, schools and countless lives - it also smashed security restrictions that effectively banned foreigners from visiting Pakistani Kashmir.

Thousands of foreign aid workers and troops have poured in to the Pakistani Himalayas to help survivors of the earthquake that killed 73,000 people.

Now government officials are looking at tourism as a way to put the scenic region back on its feet.

“We can try to convert this disaster into an opportunity,” said Kashif Murtaza, chief administrative official in Pakistani Kashmir.

For decades Kashmir was the front line on one of the world’s most dangerous flash points, between Pakistan and India. A late 2003 ceasefire breathed life into peace efforts. In Indian Kashmir, tourism has picked up after the peace process led to a fall in violence.

Consultants from the UN World Tourism Organisation visited Pakistani Kashmir this month and were enthusiastic about the possibilities. “It holds a lot of potential for tourism, for trekking and hiking,” said WTO’s Omer Nawaz.