By Zahiruddin
CHITRAL: The sectors of agriculture and tourism will see a big boost due to the opening of Islamic banking branch (IBB) in Chitral as the potentials in both the sectors are underutilized for want of financing facilities because the local people hesitated to turn to the conventional banking for loan facilities.
The speakers in the opening ceremony of IBB of National Bank of Pakistan in Chitral here on Monday including its president Saeed Ahmed, MNA from Chitral Shahzada Iftikharud Din, commandant of Chitral Scouts colonel Moeen and Chitral DC Irshad Sodhar overemphasized the exploitation of the two sectors to do away with poverty and indigence rampant in the area.
They said that after the opening of Lowari tunnel for the public, the transportation of agricultural products and raw materials o the national market has been easier than before while more facilities will attract more number of tourists to the area thereby increasing the volume of economic growth.
They said that the Chitral was known to be bumper producer of a good varieties of fruits and vegetables whose produce were to be streamlined for supplying to the national market and engaging thousands of youth as work force while it was impeded by the lack of financial resources with the local people for commercialization purposes.
They said that the neighboring tourist resorts of Swat, Murree, Abbottabad, Kaghan and Gilgit attracted tourists ranging from 2 to 2.5 millions on yearly basis while in Chitral it was abysmally low despite its ecological attraction and the world-famous Kalash culture apart from the tens of the peaks of Hindukush with altitudes above 6000 meters.
The speakers said that equal number of tourists can be diverted to Chitral with the opening of Lowari tunnel which connected the district with the rest of the country round the year but the strength of facilities should be made commensurate with the number of tourists and for this purpose the local people in the sector should be facilitated monetarily.
They said that the untapped mines and mineral deposits of the mountainous district also needed strong finances from the banks and financial institutions and the local people yearned for the IBB who dreaded the risk fraught with the interest-based conventional banking.
They said that due to its proximity with the Central Asian republics and China, the district of Chitral is going to be the hub of economic activities in the region while Islamic banking has a shining opportunity in such a situation and NBP has risen to the occasion by opening its IBB here.
Earlier, the president of NBP, Saeed Ahmed formally opened the IBB by opening an account and unveiling the plaque accompanied by Saima Rahim, the regional head of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA.
