During working with federal government I spent many years in Punjab, Sindh, Balushistan and visited NWFP. I have visited famous cities of almost 2/3 world.
Shak, youre right. I often feel that way too and wonder if we're supposed to first get acquainted with whats our own before we start running after what isnt. One often does feel the guilt and sense of loss in not being able to relate with the diverse cultures, people, landscapes and languages of Pakistan. Perhaps the reasons for this are again either political or economic.
Inter-city, inter-provincial travel is restricted mostly to trains and planes for most people. Roads have never been as good and safe and secure as they ought to be and that restricts people from going on economizing and adventurous road trips to discover their own country. Travel by buses is often associated with robbers and fatal accidents-caused due to stretches of roads being left unattended. Plus there's always smthng or the other politicaly wrong. For instance one is always scared to travel into a foreign province out of fear of being dealt harshly by natives of another province who're at some disagreement with the other and act hostile, or some tribal chiefs declare some area restricted and out of bound for unconcerned people...
So i guess these are just a few of the issues which keep pakistanis from discovering or wanting to discover pakistan and learn about it. we severely need all parts of the country linked by A class highways that are attended by the motorway police. Plus once again, Pakistan also needs to get rid of the landlords and their 'areas', and remove the sense of alienation. pakistanis should be able to move around all over the country safely, economically and freely and feel at home anywhere anytime.
I agree with u Haris, real issue is security it may not be that worse on the ground but the message we get from media form other parts of the country is its not safe to go there. so only few adverturers will go ahead. I myself havent visited Sindh(apart from khi airport) or Balochistan though i wish to see it all . I however visited NWFP, FATA quite a few times and north of Punjab. South and western punjab, Kashmir, still need to be discovered.
there is no drive or adds to encourage internal tourism but bus from india get more attention. Pakistanis within Pakistan are not much encouraged to see other areas.
trouble makers are far less than the people who are friendly and welcoming. I remember i buss conducter charged me more fare cause i wasnt speaking pushto with him, but the fellow local commuter interupted and made him refund me the access.
For travel to happen, logistics has be made easier as well!
Setting aside the few rich people, average joes don't have money for airplanes (unless incomes go up and fares come down due to competition) and better train/road access.
Look at how Ike revolutionized america with his expressways (though he had them also built to accommodate military forces in case of a war) and the rail age in the mid eighteenth century in the American West!
It is a government's job to do it since it benefits the most from tourism (taxes etc).
Good idea Blitzi. I just differ on the mode of funding. For Pak government, the amount of collected taxes is not enough to put huge amount of money in the expressways.
However Nawaz Sharif’s ideas should have been extended further of building toll roads. Why not bring Pakistani folks, local banks, one foreign firm and one internatoinal bank in the mix. Float the “road bonds” locally and internationally. Some sort of “Motorway savings certificates”.
Then use these funds to build toll roads. Our toll road mesh is not that huge. Two north-south routes 1000 miles each. 5 East-West routes 500 miles each.
The total comes out to be 3500 miles. That is like just one of the East-West expressway of US. Not a big deal we can build it if there is a will. People will pay for it.
Make the local Sardars and lords as shareholders of these roads so they won’t oppose or destroy the project. This will also take the government out of the direct role of road building thus reducing corruption and haira-Phairi.
Let's hope theyre more than just plan. The way the initiating projects came across very successfully and the way they are being run very properly is good reason to hope. I long for the day when people would be able to travel from Karachi to Peshawar; rather from the southern most parts to the northern most parts of the country with high convenience, safety and utility on well lit well managed well planned and well monitored motorways. I'm sure that day will bring a new era, it'll redefine Pakistan for Pakistanis.