Bikers reach Capital on "Educate the Orphans" campaign

ISLAMABAD: A four-member team of Pakistan Motorbike Travellers Association (PMTA) reached here on Friday after covering a distance of around 2600 kms in 10 days from Karachi to Islamabad via Azad Kashmir on their "Educate the Orphans" campaign.

The Bikers started their journey on March 28 from Malir Halt (Karachi) and travelled through Hyderabad, Shikarpur, Bahawalpur, Multan, Faisalabad, Lahore, Mirpur, Bagh and Muzaffarabad.

The team was received here at the PTDC Tourist Information Centre by Mir Shahjahan Khetran, Managing Director PTDC. Speaking on
the occasion, Shahjahan Khetran felicitated the bikers on their successful endeavours for promotion of adventure tourism in the country.

He said that the Tourist Information and Reservation Centre in Islamabad was serving foreign and Pakistani tourists in planning their holidays in Pakistan, booking of hotels and motels, provision of tourist transport and tour packages and affordable rates.

He said the PTDC has 18 tourist information centres, in addition to 43 hotels, motels and restaurants located at the far flung areas.

Ali Akbar, General Manager (Publicity & Promotion), Sheikh Fayyaz Ahmed, Manager/PSO, Abdur Rehman Nutkani, Manager (TICs/Dist.), Abdul Rasool Zahidi Manager Accounts, Tayyab Nisar Mir, Manager (P&P) and MUkhtar Ali, Deputy Manager (Media) were also present on the occasion.

The team comprised Muhammad Iqbal Ghangla, a motor dealer from Multan, Mukarram Khan, a businessman from Lahore, Ahsanul Haq, an electrical engineer from Bahawalpur and Habibullah, a bank employee from Gujranwala.

Ghangla made a national record by making a 12 feet long bicycle and travelled over 6000 kms on it throughout Pakistan between 2006 to 2007.

Since 2005, he has travlled for 55000 kms by motorbike. He also travelled by foot from Madina to Makkah in seven days in June 2006.

Mukkaram Khan has travelled for 75000 kms on motorbike in Pakistan on well as in Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Malaysia.

Their current journey is dedicated to promotion of tourism and education in the country with special emphasis to youth and orphan
children.

The Association was founded in 2005 and has successfully completed number of journeys throughout Pakistan. They have also been invited by Latin American Motorcycle Association (LAMA) in Chicago to participate in Motorbike Event, which is taking place from June 17 to July 2. (APP)