Govt striving to make country tourists' destination: Nilofar
By Hina Kiyani

ISLAMABAD—Minister for Tourism Nilofar Bakhtiar Saturday said the government was making all out efforts to develop the country as an attractive destination for foreign tourists and also promote domestic tourism.
She was addressing as chief guest at the launching ceremony of exhibition organized by a private firm here.
The Minister said a tourism marketing strategy, focussed on historical and cultural sites of international significance in the country, had been devised to attract more tourists which would lead to generation more revenue besides promotion of the country's soft image.
She said that year-2007 would be celebrated as an tourism yearand working out of a yearly calander, featuring dates and venues of important events, was a step forward int this regard.
She said the new visa policy reflected the government's liberalization and openness with a view to making Pakistan a tourist friendly country.
The Minister said 'visa-on-arrival' facility had been allowed to many more countries. In the past such facility was available only for people of two countries but now the list covers 24 countries.
Talking to media persons, she said a committee had been formed to evolve consensus over the women's rights protection bill, adding that no un-Islamic things were to be included in it.
To a question, she said the bill should not be politicized as it was not a political but a human rights issue, adding those putting hurdles in its way, reflected their denial of women's rights.