PTDC Managing Director said, "To attract tourists from all over the world, biker-tourist Muhammad Iqbal Ghangla who was on a 30-day tour has completed his all Pakistan Motorbike Tour. During his tour, Iqbal covered over 12,000 kilometers distance, which also took him to the Tribal Areas."
"The main purpose of his tour is to convey a message to focal as well as foreign tourists that anyone can move here freely as Pakistan is a peace-loving country. There are many beautiful touring spots in Pakistan which need to be visited and admired. It will be a source of giving oxygen to Pakistan's dying tourist industry," Managing Director added.
Iqbal started his tour from Multan on November 5, and the cities and areas in the way of his journey are: Dera Ismail Khan, Tribal Areas, Peshawar, Swat, Chitral, Gilgit, Khanjrab Pass, Skardu, Chalas, Naran, Kashmir, Neelam Valley, Sialkot, Lahore, Wahga Border, Bahawalnagar, Shikarpur, Sehwan Sharif, Rani Kot, Hyderabad, Meethi, Khokharabad, Badeen, Karachi, Gwadar, Jiwani, Lasbela, Quetta, Taftan, Chaman, Ziarat, Sob, Dera Ghazi Khan, Panjnad, Och Sharif, Vihari, Sahiwal, Faisalabad, Abbottabad, Ayubia and Murree.
He said the Tourist Information and Reservation Centre in Islamabad was serving foreign and Pakistani tourists in planning their holidays in Pakistan, booking of hotels and motels, provision of tourist transport and tour packages and affordable rates. He said PTDC had 18 Tourist Information Centre within the country, in addition to 43 hotels, motels and restaurants located in the far flung areas of the country.
Iqbal Ghangla has already made a national record by making a 12 feet long bicycle and travelled over 6,000 kms on it throughout Pakistan during 2006 to 2007. Since 2005, he has completed 55,000 kms on motorbike. He also travelled by foot from Madina to Makkah in seven days in June 2006.
"PTDC has established three new tourist centres in Balochistan. It is a fact that law and order situation in Balochistan is not satisfactory but there are some districts that are experiencing lawlessness but still the tourism, both foreign and local, in the province is satisfactory. The tourism industry of Pakistan has a great potential. In order to promote tourism, we have recently held a photo exhibition in which all the beautiful tourist resorts were highlighted," the Managing Director said.
"Tourism in Pakistan has an average increase of 15-20 percent per year," he added. Iqbal Ghangla said, "I have travelled Pakistan under the theme titled 'Welcome to Pakistan' to promote the tourism industry of the country. International media has left no stone unturned in defaming Pakistan. Even a single bomb blast in Pakistan is propagated so terribly in international media that the foreign tourists become hesitant to visit the country". Iqbal said that he could not visit Gwadar due to some restrictions.