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• Suggested slug: na-session-foreign-tourist-arrivals-fall-october-2026
• Category: National
• Focus keyphrase: Pakistan foreign tourists decline
• SEO title: Pakistan Foreign Tourists Fall; Afghanistan Tops List
• Meta description: Foreign tourist arrivals in Pakistan have fallen and most visitors came from Afghanistan, the National Assembly was told on Friday.
• Tags: National Assembly, Pakistan tourism, foreign tourists, Nafisa Shah, immigration, Question Hour, Gandhara civilisation
• Original element: explainer context — the deputy speaker’s admission that the ministry cannot separate Afghan refugees from tourist arrivals means the headline figures are unreliable, which changes how the “decline” should be read
• Source: Dawn (“Tempers cool in NA after heated couple of days”, published 17 Oct 2026, 04:56 PKT)

Foreign Tourist Arrivals Fall in Pakistan; Most Visitors Came From Afghanistan, NA Told

The National Assembly was told on Friday that foreign tourist arrivals in Pakistan have declined, and that the largest number of visitors came from Afghanistan, followed by the United Kingdom. The disclosure came during a notably quiet sitting of the lower house, two days after heated sessions on the emergency proclamation and governor’s rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Only three federal ministers attended the proceedings, which began at 11.35am, more than half an hour behind schedule. Around 50 to 60 members were present, including Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry from the treasury benches, and fewer than 15 opposition members. Leader of the Opposition Mahmood Achakzai and the top PTI leadership were absent.

Unlike the previous two days, not a single member from either side of the aisle raised the issue of the emergency or governor’s rule in KP, and the law minister, who had been expected to respond if the matter came up, also stayed silent.

Tourism decline dominates Question Hour

The decline in tourism overshadowed the day’s business when PPP MNA Dr Nafisa Shah raised the lack of interest shown by foreign tourists in visiting Pakistan during Question Hour.

Citing official figures, she said the highest number of foreign tourists came from Afghanistan, followed by the United Kingdom. “It is a big question that the highest number of tourists came from Afghanistan,” she said.

She pointed out that despite Pakistan’s rich heritage, including the more than 6,000-year-old Gandhara and Taxila civilisations, the country had failed to attract foreign visitors and earn foreign exchange, and Islamabad’s tourism profile has yet to translate into arrivals at scale.

The government’s response did little to settle the matter. Parliamentary Secretary for Inter-Provincial Coordination Kiran Dar failed to satisfy the questioner, and even Deputy Speaker Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah expressed dissatisfaction. The deputy speaker observed that the ministry could not distinguish between Afghan refugees and tourists.

That admission matters. If the arrivals data cannot separate refugees from genuine tourists, the headline figure for Afghan “tourists” is unreliable, and the true scale of the decline in real tourism may be worse than the official numbers suggest. It also raises questions about how tourism policy is measured: targets and campaigns built on inflated arrival counts can misdirect spending. Punjab has been trying to professionalise its tourism sector through the Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab, but national-level data gaps of this kind make it harder to judge what is working.

Fewer skilled Pakistanis seeking to emigrate

The house was also informed that the number of qualified Pakistanis seeking immigration to foreign countries had declined significantly.

The claim, presented without detailed figures, cuts against years of public debate over brain drain. Pakistan has watched doctors, engineers and IT professionals leave in large numbers, and any genuine reversal would matter for the economy. The context around immigration from Pakistan shows how deeply the outflow has shaped household incomes through remittances. Whether the decline reflects better opportunities at home or tighter visa regimes abroad was not explained.

A calmer house after heated days

Friday’s subdued sitting stood in sharp contrast to the previous two days. The National Assembly and the Senate endorsed the proclamation of emergency in KP on Wednesday, and a joint sitting of the two houses approved governor’s rule on Thursday, with heavy attendance on both days. The debate over governor’s rule in KP had dominated parliamentary business all week.

With the emergency measures approved, the treasury benches showed no appetite to prolong the argument, and the thin opposition benches let the day pass to routine business. Proceedings closed without incident, a marked change after one of the most contentious weeks of the parliamentary year.

Frequently asked questions

Why did tourism come up in the National Assembly?

PPP MNA Dr Nafisa Shah raised the decline in foreign tourist arrivals during Question Hour, asking why Pakistan fails to attract visitors despite its heritage sites.

Which countries send the most tourists to Pakistan?

According to official figures cited in the house, Afghanistan sent the highest number of foreign visitors, followed by the United Kingdom.

Are the tourist arrival figures reliable?

Possibly not. The deputy speaker noted that the ministry cannot distinguish between Afghan refugees and tourists, which means the headline numbers may be inflated.

What did the house hear about emigration?

Members were informed that the number of qualified Pakistanis seeking immigration to foreign countries had declined significantly, though no detailed figures were shared.

*Source: Dawn’s report on the NA session*