Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Ehsan-ur-Rehman Mazari Friday attended a meeting of the heads of tourism administrations of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states.
The minister, who is on a visit to Uzbekistan to attend the SCO Summit also met with that country’s Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Tourism and Sports Aziz Abdulkhakimov, said a press release issued here.
He also attended a meeting of heads of ministries, responsible for the development of physical culture and sports in SCO member states. He said it was welcome that the SCO had a comprehensive view of international relations, including not only security and defence but also culture, sports and tourism, which were often overlooked by regional organizations. “We need to continue the exchange and cooperation to deepen relationships and mutual trust between our people,” he added.
He said that since becoming a member in 2017, Pakistan had always been committed to the Shanghai spirit. “It seeks to make the best use of this platform to enhance cooperation with all SCO member states in the areas of politics, economics, security and people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
“Pakistan is ready to showcase its diverse sports which include not only modern sports but also traditional sports which are unique to our country,” he said.
“Pakistan’s topography makes it an ideal destination for mountaineering and adventure sports. We are ready to cooperate with all SCO member countries in these games,”he added.
Mazari also visited the Pakistani Embassy in Tashkent and met with Pakistani tour operators to discuss their issues. Besides, he met Pakistan’s Ambassador to Uzbekistan Ali Asad Gilani. Member National Assembly Rana Qasim Noon, Director General Pakistan Sports Board Col (retd) Muhammad Asif Zaman, Joint Secretaries of the Ministry of IPC Riaz Ahmed and Fayyaz-ul-Haq and Director Muhammad Abrar are also accompanying the minister.
