Lahore, Apr 2: Due to the recent bomb blasts in major cities, including Lahore, a declining trend in tourists inflow was witnessed in March in Pakistan, while the number of tourists going abroad increased in the same month.

A senior Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) official at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore said on the condition of anonymity that due to bomb blasts in major cities the number of people coming from abroad had reduced.

“In January and February, a large number of people living abroad, including foreigners and Pakistanis, visited Pakistan; however, the number has decreased in March. A large number of people from Pakistan went abroad during March,” the Daily Times quoted him as saying.

Nauman Chatta, owner of an immigration consultancy firm, said he had witnessed a large number of people leaving the country during the last month. “Most people were conscious about the security situation in Pakistan,” he said.

Zahida Masood, a Pakistani-born UK national, was quoted as saying via telephone: “It’s very safe in the UK and why should I put my life in risk by coming to Pakistan?”

Similarly, Natasha Janwani, a US resident, reportedly said over the telephone that she was planning to visit Pakistan in April but her husband would not allow her due to deteriorating law and order.

Kamran Malik, the public relations officer of the CAA, also said the number of people visiting Pakistan from abroad had not decreased, but said that foreigners were concerned about the security situation in Pakistan. (ANI)