Press Release
Launch of the Book “Islamabad Travel Guide” by Syed Sharfuddin
April 4, 2016
The Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI), organised launch of the book “Islamabad Travel Guide” by Syed Sharfuddin, a former diplomat and civil servant. The chief guest at the occasion was the Honourable Minister for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage Pervaiz Rasheed. Other distinguished speakers on the occasion included Lt. General Talat Masood, a senior defense analyst, Mr. Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, former Chairman, Capital Development Authority, and Chaudhry Kabir Ahmed Khan, Managing Director, Pakistan Tourism Development Authority.
Mr. Pervaiz Rasheed said that the purpose of a travel guide is to help travelers in making informed decisions about where to go, stay, shop and how to spend quality travel time in the new place and setting. He said that the most interesting thing about ‘Islamabad Travel Guide’ is that it is a book with not just an annotated map of places of interest, hotels and restaurants, but also an easily understood and user friendly account of the history, culture and heritage of Islamabad in simple English, covering subjects that are not often discussed in travel books. Islamabad, he said, is a microcosm of Pakistan, which evolved over the years from a newly planned city to becoming a living example of how a vision of a great city can be turned into reality using local resources and the ingenuity of its people.
The author, Syed Sharfuddin, while speaking on the occasion stated that the object of his book was not only to provide a practical tour-guide to visitors who come to Islamabad, but also to generate a conversation about how to attract tourists to Islamabad both from within the country, and overseas. Mr. Sharfuddin was of the view that tourism is an essential part of the global sustainable development agenda and that developing an indigenous tourism industry takes many forms like active marketing, road shows, publication of domestic tourist guides about cities and countryside attractions, as well as printing tourist literature in various local languages.
Earlier, in his welcome remarks, Ambassador Masood Khan, Director General, ISSI noted that the author has made an excellent effort by writing a very concise travel guide, which covers every aspect of the beautiful city of Islamabad. He also said that Islamabad is an international city, in fact a city on a learning curve, with a beautiful architecture and mesmerising beauty.
Mr. Imtiaz Inayat Elahi, former Chairman CDA, in his remarks paid tribute to President Ayub Khan and the senior bureaucrats of that time for their relentless efforts in planning the city of Islamabad. He appreciated the efforts by the author in bringing out a travel guide when it is most needed. Chaudhry Kabir Ahmad Khan, MD PTDC shed light on the importance of tourism and the strong link between tourism and peace. Lt. General Talat Masood also appreciated the efforts by the author and said that it opened windows to several aspects of the city.
