PTDC starts bus service for tourists

The Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) has started its seasonal bus service from Rawalpindi to Naran on daily basis till the mid of August. The buses of PTDC will take the tourists to popular spot of Naran that serves the nature lovers as `hot cake’ in summer with its picturesque landscapes and pleasant weather.
Through reasonable travelling rates, establishment of information centers and easy reservation procedures, the bus service attracts maximum tourists while additional services are given on weekends, said an official of PTDC while talking to APP. “With advancement in technologies, people have developed interest in visiting and exploring new places during their summer vacations. The movement of more than 50 million people has been witnessed for tourism purposes across the country annually,” the official said.
With the start of summer vacations, families and youngsters belonging to warm areas have started moving to mountainous regions that include Queen of Hills – Murree, Nathiagali, Ayubia, Kaghan Valley, Naran and Azad Kashmir as main focus.
Over 4000 local tourists are visiting Naran on daily basis and their number will reach around 20,000 tourists per day before Ramazan as people want to explore more greenery, lakes, rivers and picturesque landscapes of mountains.
The tourist season will remain on peak till August 10 in Murree, Ayubia and Nathiagali as over 15,000 to 20,000 local tourists are visiting these mountainous areas due to rising
temperature in different parts of the country, the official said. The domestic tourists consider Murree and Nathiagali as most accessible tourist spot while Kaghan Valley is also popular for those having urge for exploring more spots to spend summer vacations.
From last few years, the movement of foreign tourists has been reduced due to security situation and floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while the Visa policy and requirement of NOC to visit KPK keeps them away from Kaghan Valley. For tourists, mountains are considered as the place for leisure activities. People admire the beauty of these areas for the reasons of the climate and clean air, varied topography, beautiful scenery, local traditions and simple life styles. A vacation in the Kaghan Valley, the Himalayan hide-away, located north-east of the Hazara district, is an unforgettable experience for them as the mountains, dales, lakes, water-falls, streams and glaciers serve them with excellent opportunities to live close to nature.
Summer art show continues to attract visitors: The summer art show by various artists is continued to attract art lovers of twin cities till June 20 at Nomad art gallery through unique display of exquisite paintings.
The show entitled “Ecology of Color: The Song of Summer” exhibited the work of artists Ahmad Habib, Amjad Hussain, AQ Arif, Hamid Alavi, Nadeem Ahmad and Sarfaraz Musawir.
The paintings portray local architecture and the richness of our culture as a source of inspiration for the artistic endeavors of the participating artists whether through the medium of art or the written word – both presented poetically, said Nageen Hyat, Director Nomad. Each artist is enthusiastic and the paintings are filled with colour and clarity of concept, aesthetic characteristics, creativity in use of media and rich inspiration from their surroundings. A. Q. Arif paints the glories of nature and magnificence of God with the believe that there is nothing unnatural on this earth. Through his work, he says that everyone should appreciate the beauty and harmony given by God. According to him, beauty is not only in vibrant colors and pretty things like flowers, peacocks and angelic creatures, it lies in hands of man and his heart. Amjad Hussain explores the history of art and known for his unique skills. “Nature is hard, coarse and stubborn for those who only see the dark aspect of life. My perception of life is positivity and that’s what i see all around me. My village is as enriched with natural beauty and peace as my heart is,” he said. Ahmed Habib’s art revolves around his own orbit spread around the space and objects. “My paintings are still moments caught in between finished and unfinished, it’s like `to be and not to be’.
And those hanging moments trying to crawl through the digits of right into my heart,” he said about his work. Nadeem Ahmed worked on Sufi poetry in contemporary art since 2007 with a purpose that message of Sufi saints go everywhere through art. The work explores the life style of truck drivers that opens a chapter of fascinating colors, design, culture and expressions.