Princess Beatrice of the UK, former premiers of Spain and Italy have reached Pakistan on a skiing trip to the Northern areas of Pakistan.
The reports surfaced after a picture of PM Khan meeting the foreign dignitaries on his official Instagram account that took place at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.
Special Assistant to PM on Overseas Pakistanis Sayed Zulfikar Bukhari and Pakistan’s honorary ambassador-at-large for investment Ali Jahangir Siddiqui were also present in the meeting.
“HRH Princess Beatrice of York, Jose Maria Aznar (Former Prime Minister of Spain), Matteo Renzi (Former Prime Minister of Italy), Zia Chishti and Frederico Rigoni are in Pakistan for a ski trip,” according to PM’s Instagram account.
They called on Prime Minister Imran Khan in the sidelines of their ski trip.
Welcoming HRH Princess Beatrice of York @yorkiebea , Jose Maria Aznar, @matteorenzi, Frederico Rigoni, Zia Chishti & the @afiniti team to Pakistan. Wish you a great stay here !
🇵🇰⛷🎿🇵🇰#VisitPakistan #BeautifulPakistan #Tourism pic.twitter.com/pICcDWByKy— Sayed Z Bukhari (@sayedzbukhari) February 15, 2020
Reports suggest Princess Beatrice of York, former premier of Spain Jose Maria Aznar, and former premier Italy Matteo Renzi marks the first high-profile visit of dignitaries from Europe to Pakistan after the UK eased its travel advisory for Pakistan last month.
British High Commission declared Pakistan safe for visit and travel for its citizens in the latest travel advisory report. The positive travel advice for Pakistan is attributed to its improved security situation.
Pakistan 🇵🇰 becoming a sought after tourist destination. Glad to see former 🇮🇹 Italian PM @matteorenzi among the international high profile personalities visiting Pakistan and its natural beauties. https://t.co/wdTnxPbFew
— Stefano Pontecorvo (@pontecorvoste) February 16, 2020
The latest travel advice is a boon for the formative tourism sector of Pakistan, which is undergoing a phase of extensive development and upgrade.
According to the British High Commission, the above-mentioned milestones prompted a positive analysis for Pakistan. The British High Commission reduced travel restrictions on the full route from Islamabad to Gilgit. UK visitors can now travel on Karakoram Highway but can bypass the section from Mansehra to Chillas and can take the route from Kaghan Valley and Babusar Pass. However, they have maintained a strict travel restriction on KP and Balochistan.
“The improved security situation allowed for the return of British Airways to Pakistan in June 2019 and the visit by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in October 2019,” the statement said. “Among other changes, the advice now allows for travel by road to the North of Pakistan as well as the Kalash and Bamboret Valleys,” the high commission said.
Read more: British High Commission upgrades Pakistan travel advisory to ‘safe’
Meanwhile, Princess Beatrice of York- the ninth in the line succession, is the first child of Duke and Duchess of York and fifth grandchild of Queen Elizabeth II. She is the second royal dignitary to visit Pakistan in less than a year following the much-sought visit of the royal couple, Prince William and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton to Pakistan in October last year.
Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton described the royal tour to Pakistan ‘really special’ in a rare interview with CNN in Lahore. The five-day tour enabled the royal family to see a lot of the country.
The Duchess in her interview cherished visiting the country’s unique landscape in Chitral and engaging in communal activities during her visit. “It was amazing seeing some of the geographies yesterday, but then to see some of the community activities today has been special,” the duchess said.
Skiing event in Pakistan
Earlier, this month, British High Commission Dr.Christian Turner led a delegation that participated in the international skiing event Karakoram Alpine Ski Cup in Malam Jabba along with numerous others skiers from Canada, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Turkey and Greece held at the height about 8,500 feet by Alpine Club. President Arif Alvi also attended the skiing event.
Skiing in the Swat valley – honoured to lead 🇬🇧 team to 2020 Karakoram Alpine Ski Cup at #MalamJabba with @PresOfPakistan @ArifAlvi @OfficialDGISPR #GettingToKnow🇵🇰 cc @sayedzbukhari @KPGovernment pic.twitter.com/X4OxWS5j37
— Christian Turner (@CTurnerFCO) February 8, 2020
Dr. Christian Turner called Pakistan a wonderful country. “In a valley and resort associated with destruction by the Pakistani Taliban,” he said. Adding that “It is fantastic to see the breathtaking scenery and how Pakistan is changing for the better.”