MIRPUR (AJK) :Brisk preparations are afoot for the three-day Summer Tourism Festival, which will be inaugurated by Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider of April 27 here at Asifa Bhutto Park. The festival is being organized by the AJK Tourism Department in cooperation with the Mirpur District Administration and other nation-building departments. Addressing a press conference here at the Kashmir Press Club, AJK Minister for Sports Chaudhary Muhammad Saeed and Secretary Information and Tourism Mrs Midhat Shehzad said the festival would provide healthy entertainment and recreation to the tourists and families from across the AJK with prime focus to encourage and promote the local tourism. The festival was aimed at acquainting the young generation with the centuries old cultural heritage of the Himalayan state of Jammu & Kashmir, the y added. They said the grand gala to be free of charge for all visitors. Horse and cattle show, trade exhibition of home made products, including the Kashmiri handicrafts, cultural show depicting the Kashmiri folk songs, besides the national songs, book festival, exhibition of the pictures depicting the Indian brutalities and human rights violations by the occupying forces in occupied Kashmir, marathon race, mystic poetry, boating, cricket and football matches besides the local supports, would be the hallmark of the grand festival, they underlined. They said various committees had been formed to design and manage the events of the festival in a befitting manner. Chaudhary Muhammad Saeed said the government was acting upon an integrated plan through launching various projects for the uplift of tourism in the area. The festival would prove to be a step forward for the speedy promotion of tourism in the scenic part of AJK located on the bank of the picturesque Mangla Dam lake, he added.
