Shimla looks forward to visitors

SHIMLA: Fanfare of the semi-final of the India-Pakistan match has brought to fore this famous holiday resort which took the lead in forging friendship and better relations between the two countries with the signing of the Simla Agreement in July 1972. The city is now looking forward to hosting visitors from the neighbouring country. The Indo-Pak Summit held here in the first week of July 1972, which was attended by then Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and her Pakistani counterpart Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, with his daughter who also headed the Pakistani government Benazir Bhutto in tow, incidentally was the first time that India and Pakistan agreed to explore the ways and means for a final settlement of the vexed issue of Jammu and Kashmir and that too through the wisdom and statesmanship of their own leaders without outside help.The bonhomie and friendly relationsthat developed between the leaders of the two nations and the entourageaccompanying them spread through this queen of hills and its residents have notspared any occasion to let the feelings and friendship for each growfurther.May it be chefs from Pakistan visiting the city to ticklethe palates of the locals or the cream of the Lahore Gymkhana Club coming hereto play a friendly gold tournament at the historic Naldehra Golf course, nestledamid the stately deodars at height of over 7,000 feet.The Anandfamily here, which had to leave Lahore during partition and took refuge inShimla, has amongst others, been keen in fostering better relations between thetwo countries and hosted various events. They are now keenly looking forward tovisitors from their old home town visiting them and other places of interest.“We have undertaken a number of events in the past few years that hasdeveloped an interest in Shimla and can therefore look forward to a number ofvisitors”, said KC Anand.He said that it was just aboutnatural for the visitors from Lahore and its adjoining areas who had come tovisit the match at Mohali to come to Shimla. “It has been the summercapital of the erstwhile raj, of which even Pakistan was a part, then there werea number of families from the city who on partition migrated to Pakistan withsome of them settling in Lahore, then Shimla has often been likened to Murree,the hill station adjoining Lahore and the number of reciprocal visits that havetaken place between the two cities, are worthy reasons”, heclaimed.Anand said that it was just not only the elders but evenschool children had reciprocated visits to ensure that the love and friendshipthey develop for each other matures with age and time. “Just a couple ofmonths ago, the hockey and football teams of the Bishop Cotton School,accompanied by headmaster R Robinson and his wife Dorothy, with all coordinationdone by me, had visited the Aitchson College, Lahore and played goodwill matchesthere, to reciprocate an earlier visit by the Aitchson football and hockey teamsto BCS a couple of years back”, he pointed out.He said that inthe continuation of the bondage between the two cities, the city would behosting a Punjabi play at the historic Gaiety Theatre, with artists from Lahoreperforming this summer, which would be followed by a fashion show with modelsshowcasing the Pakistani attires. “Then of course we are planning a‘haat’ of arts and crafts of Pakistan at the historic Ridge maidanalso this summer, besides a vintage car rally from Chandigarh to Lahore is alsoon the cards”, he listed.Also looking forward to a number ofvisitors from Pakistan after the match, Himachal incharge of the CII tourismcell, Ajit Butail said that being the summer capital of India, when Pakistan wasa part of the raj, definitely instills a desire to visit the place.“Though nothing official has been planned, the hospitality industry ingeneral is keen to greet the visitors from Pakistan and offer them generousdiscounts at the hotels and as there have been so many interactions of theresidents of the two cities in the past, we all hope relationship continues andstrengthens”, he added.