Punjab Tourist Force All Set to Guard Foreign Tourists

News Desk

Lahore: The Punjab Police is all set to form a Punjab Tourist Force (PTF) to promote tourism and provide security and guidance to foreigners, informed Inspector-General (IG) office sources on Friday.

The Tourism Force will keep up-to-date records of tourist places, including hotels and restaurants, along with the tourism department so the tourists arriving at the airports will be briefed about the tourist spots in the province.

Special counters will also be created at three airports, including Lahore, where staff will be posted which has been approved by IG Punjab.

The Tourism Force will provide the tourists with all the information they need regarding their respective destinations, weather conditions, regional and historical background, and other details. There will be a Special Protection Unit (SPU) for security and a Punjab Highway Patrol (PHP) for tourism. Two vehicles and two heavy bikes will also be available at all times at the three airports.

According to officials, the tourism force will work under the Punjab Highway Patrol Unit and the Additional Inspector-General of Police (IGP) will head the PHP Tourism Force.

Vehicles will also be provided to the tourism force from existing resources. The Tourism Force will be a separate wing of the regular PHP.

It is worth mentioning that the Rawalpindi police formed a tourism squad after the incident of misbehaviour against women in Murree last year, after which the inclusion of policemen was decided and added to the tourism squad in Punjab as per demand.

Meanwhile, IG Punjab appreciated the efforts of PHP Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) Athar Waheed in the executive board meeting and ordered to start the tourism force soon.