ISLAMABAD - Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Minister Syed Riaz Hussain Pirzada blamed the neighbouring country for the 2009 attack on the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team in Lahore to stop international sports in Pakistan and turn the country into international sporting isolation, and they successfully completed their task.
He expressed these views during the inaugural session of UAAA General Assembly 2013 in Islamabad. He said: “Government has taken necessary steps to ensure safety and security of climbers, trekkers and other tourists in Pakistan and no such horrifying incidents like Diamer attack on climbers will be repeated in future again.”
He appreciated the efforts of Alpine Club for hosting Assembly in perspective of recent attacks on climbers at Diamer, Nanga Parbat base camp. He praised the spirit of brave climbers who dared to climb mountains despite challenging environment, terrain and hazards they had to bear.
He said necessary instructions had already been issued to provincial governments and security agencies to ensure safety and security of the tourists. In order to ensure the proper arrangements, board meetings of the stakeholders would continue to review measures and implement them.
The minister also made it clear that Pakistani people were peace loving and terrorism was labelled by so-called anti-terror faces painted by forces having ill motives against Pakistan particularly and Muslims generally.
Union of International Alpine Associations (UIAA) president Frits Vrijlandt, Union of Asian Alpine Federations (UAAA) president In Jung Lee, Ambassador of Korea Jong Hwan Song, Alpine Club of Pakistan (ACP) president Lt Col (R) Manzoor Hussain and secretary Abu Zafar Sadiq also expressed their views on the occasion.
ACP president Lt Col (R) Manzoor Hussain said hosting of General Assembly of UAAA was a sign of confidence of Asian countries to facilitate their climbers and trekkers and other adventure sports lovers to visit Pakistan. He added General Assembly would discuss those issues which were being faced by adventure countries.
Pirzada inaugurated the photo exhibition of Karrar Haidri, who is also a well-known photographer and director ACP.
The exhibition comprised wide range of photos of mountain sports, tourism and culture of Pakistan.
Karrar Haidri explained the features of painting to the minister; adventure lovers visited the exhibition and appreciated the work.