Two “Green Tourism” officials resign over alleged breaches of accord

GILGIT: Two senior officials from Green Tourism Private Limited have resigned over alleged failures by the army-owned company to fulfil its commitments, as outlined in official agreements.

Asifullah Khan, former secretary of the Forests, Parks, Wildlife, and Environment Department of Gilgit-Baltistan, resigned from his advisory role at Green Tourism Private Limited, citing alleged breaches of the accord by the company. 

Meanwhile, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, the Director of Administration and Public Relations for Green Tourism entity in Gilgit-Baltistan, also resigned, pointing to unmet promises made to the public, including job creation, elevating Naltar as a model town, and establishing a local polo team. “We failed to fulfil promises made to the public, and mounting public pressure led to my resignation,” Ghazanfar told HUM News English. 

“In response to recent speculation on social media about my resignation from Green Tourism, I’d like to clarify that my decision was solely based on personal reasons and differences that have developed over time between me and the GTPL. I hope my decision will have no bearing on the GTPL policy and the agreement between the GB government and GTPL,” Asifullah said in a statement. 

Green Tourism, established under the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) in February this year, was tasked with promoting tourism in Pakistan. 

As part of this mission, the government of Gilgit-Baltistan and Green Tourism Company signed an agreement to “promote tourism.” Under a recent arrangement, 44 government guesthouses were handed over to the Green Tourism Company to boost tourism. However, this move quickly sparked controversy. Locals, led by the Awami Action Committee (AAC), condemned the handover of government guesthouses, viewing it as “land grabbing.” 

The committee, an alliance of political and religious parties advocating for the rights of Gilgit-Baltistan, organised widespread protests, voicing concerns that tourism — a critical lifeline for the region — was under threat. The contentious agreement initially included forest lands, a provision that was later removed following sustained objections from civil society groups and the AAC. 

Also read: G-B cabinet split on leasing rest houses, land to army-owned firm

Prior to joining Green Tourism, Asifullah had overseen the Department of Forests, Parks, Wildlife, and Environment, a role in which he was actively involved in discussions surrounding the transfer of guesthouses to the company. During the last four to five meetings, Asifullah is said to have raised several points regarding the company’s adherence to the agreement. 

Sources close to the matter revealed that Asifullah, who joined the Green Tourism Company just before the agreement signing, had voiced strong concerns over alleged breaches by the company in recent meetings. Reportedly, these meetings became contentious, with harsh exchanges, and ultimately ended without resolution. 

His disagreements with the Green Tourism company led to personal conflicts within the company, ultimately culminating in his resignation on October 17. According to sources, the Gilgit-Baltistan government was informed ahead of his resignation. 

In his resignation letter, Asifullah reportedly highlighted the concerns raised by the Awami Action Committee, stating that the AAC’s primary fear was that the company might not honour the signed agreement, potentially compromising the rights of local residents. He ultimately expressed that these fears were justified, given the company’s alleged failure to meet its commitments. 

Meanwhile, the Green Tourism company has moved forward with the next phase of the agreement. In an official letter, Provincial Coordinator for Gilgit-Baltistan Col (retd) Habibur Rehman has requested the secretary of the Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department to transfer additional rest houses managed by the Communication and Works Department.

These resthouses include locations in Karimabad, Hunza; Khaplu, Ghanche (old and new buildings); Phander; and Guppis, Ghizer.