{"id":18523,"date":"2026-01-07T13:00:53","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T08:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=18523"},"modified":"2026-01-07T13:00:54","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T08:00:54","slug":"pakistan-attracts-only-15000-hikers-annually-compared-to-1-5-million-in-nepal-defence-secretary-tells-senate-committee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/?p=18523","title":{"rendered":"Pakistan Attracts Only 15,000 Hikers Annually Compared to 1.5 Million in Nepal: Defence Secretary Tells Senate Committee"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Islamabad:<\/em> Pakistan attracts only around 15,000 hikers annually despite possessing some of the world\u2019s most spectacular mountain ranges, while Nepal welcomes approximately 1.5 million hiking and trekking tourists every year, Defence Secretary told the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, highlighting the vast untapped potential of Pakistan\u2019s tourism sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a detailed briefing to the committee, the Defence Secretary said that Pakistan is home to 62 of the world\u2019s 100 highest mountains, a natural advantage that very few countries can match. However, he lamented that the country has failed to capitalize on this extraordinary geographic asset due to weak infrastructure, limited services, and a lack of focused tourism promotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pointed out that despite having globally renowned peaks such as K2, Nanga Parbat, and broad mountain ranges across Gilgit-Baltistan, Chitral, and northern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan continues to lag far behind Nepal in attracting hiking and trekking enthusiasts. \u201cPakistan receives only about 15,000 hikers in a full year, whereas Nepal attracts nearly 1.5 million people annually for hiking and trekking,\u201d he told the committee.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defence Secretary said this stark contrast reflects not a lack of natural beauty, but shortcomings in planning, connectivity, and service delivery. He stressed that if Pakistan invested in basic tourism infrastructure and provided international-standard services, the number of tourists could increase dramatically, generating significant foreign exchange and employment opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While briefing the committee on aviation and infrastructure reforms, the Defence Secretary revealed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has approved the outsourcing of Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad airports. He explained that although these airports are profitable, the quality of services does not meet international standards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter outsourcing, professional private companies will provide services at these airports,\u201d he said. \u201cThese companies may be foreign, but our aim is that Pakistanis should lead the operations.\u201d He added that outsourcing would improve passenger experience, operational efficiency, and global competitiveness of Pakistan\u2019s aviation sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He further informed the committee that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been privatized in a proper and transparent manner, which has already begun to yield positive outcomes. According to the Defence Secretary, access to the UK and European routes has been restored, opening important international markets for the national carrier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defence Secretary said PIA currently operates around 17 to 18 aircraft, conducting approximately 490 flights per week. He noted that a detailed review of loss-making routes was conducted as part of restructuring efforts. As a result, certain routes, including Chitral, were temporarily suspended due to financial losses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, he emphasized that tourism development could change the economics of such routes. \u201cWe will recommend to the consortium that these routes be restored,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we promote tourism in Chitral, the problem will be resolved.\u201d He explained that air connectivity plays a critical role in boosting tourism in remote mountainous regions, where road travel is often difficult and time-consuming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reiterating Pakistan\u2019s immense tourism potential, the Defence Secretary again highlighted that 62 of the world\u2019s top 100 mountains are located in Pakistan. He said that this alone should place Pakistan among the world\u2019s leading destinations for adventure tourism, mountaineering, and hiking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comparing Pakistan with Nepal, he noted that Nepal has successfully branded itself as a global trekking hub by developing trails, ensuring safety, facilitating permits, and encouraging private-sector participation. In contrast, Pakistan has yet to create a comprehensive ecosystem that supports international hikers, despite having equally, if not more, dramatic landscapes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defence Secretary also disclosed that he had recently received a request to allow chartered helicopter services for tourism purposes. He said that if coordination is developed with the Gilgit-Baltistan government, establishing a structured heli-pad service could be feasible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we work with the GB government to develop heli-pad services, this can be done,\u201d he said, adding that similar services could also be introduced in Chitral. Such helicopter services, he explained, would be particularly attractive for high-end tourists, rescue operations, and quick access to remote valleys and mountain bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committee members were informed that helicopter connectivity could significantly improve access to remote regions, reduce travel time, and enhance safety for tourists, particularly during peak trekking and mountaineering seasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Defence Secretary stressed that tourism development should be treated as a strategic economic priority. He said that with proper planning, Pakistan could attract hundreds of thousands of adventure tourists annually, similar to Nepal, contributing billions of rupees to the economy and creating livelihoods for local communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that improving security perception, simplifying visa processes, training local guides, and ensuring reliable air and road connectivity are essential steps to unlock Pakistan\u2019s tourism potential. According to him, the country already has the natural assets; what is missing is coordinated policy implementation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the Senate committee acknowledged the importance of the briefing and stressed the need for inter-ministerial coordination to promote tourism, aviation reform, and infrastructure development. Some senators also emphasized that local communities must be made stakeholders in tourism projects to ensure sustainability and long-term success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In conclusion, the Defence Secretary said Pakistan stands at a critical juncture where smart policy decisions could transform the country into a major global destination for hiking and adventure tourism. \u201cWith 62 of the world\u2019s highest mountains, Pakistan should not be attracting 15,000 hikers a year,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we get things right, the numbers can increase many times over.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The briefing underscored that while Pakistan\u2019s natural beauty is undeniable, turning that potential into economic success will require vision, investment, and consistent execution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Islamabad: Pakistan attracts only around 15,000 hikers annually despite possessing some of the world\u2019s most spectacular mountain ranges, while Nepal welcomes approximately 1.5 million hiking and trekking tourists every year, Defence Secretary told the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, highlighting the vast untapped potential of Pakistan\u2019s tourism sector. During a detailed briefing to the committee, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18525,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","inline_featured_image":false,"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"no","rop_publish_now_accounts":{"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440":""},"rop_publish_now_history":[{"account":"facebook_3859443944190656_798604363342440","service":"facebook","timestamp":1767772943,"status":"success"}],"rop_publish_now_status":"done","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pakistan"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18523"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18526,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18523\/revisions\/18526"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakjazbo.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}