ABS & Co played an instrumental role in preparing the preliminary draft of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Eco-Tourism Rules, 2025, a first-of-its-kind framework aligning Pakistan’s tourism sector with global sustainability standards.
In this engagement, ABS & Co was entrusted with the task of creating a progressive legal framework that balances development with conservation while ensuring active community participation. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Eco-Tourism Rules, 2025, establish a dedicated Ecotourism Committee, introduce multi-tier licensing regimes for tourism operators, and mandate community partnerships through Memoranda of Understanding. They further embed sustainability into the regulatory framework by linking license fees with community development funds, introducing certification schemes with a pathway towards GSTC/Green Globe standards, and ensuring graded penalties and enforcement powers under the KPK Forest (Amendment) Act, 2022.
The preliminary draft, prepared by ABS & Co, has been formally shared with both the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Culture & Tourism Department and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Forestry, Environment and Wildlife Department for their review and consideration. Drawing upon the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tourism Act, 2019 and layering it with comparative global best practices, the draft was carefully tailored to the province’s unique socio-ecological context. It sets out provisions on licensing, certification, community benefit-sharing, enforcement mechanisms, institutional mandates, and long-term pathways for the designation of Ecotourism Zones. The framework strikes a calibrated balance between sustainable development and ecological safeguards, positioning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as a future leader in eco-friendly tourism across the region.
Through this assignment, ABS & Co reaffirmed its standing as a leading law firm in the field of regulatory reform, particularly in sectors that converge on environment, tourism, and governance. The project was executed by ABS & Co’s Public Policy & Legislative Drafting team, spearheaded by Mr. Sarjeel Mowahid and ably supported by Kanzal Abbas, Khawaja Abdullah, and Ahmed Islam. Their collective expertise and dedication shaped this landmark eco-tourism draft into a forward-looking blueprint that will guide Khyber Pakhtunkhwa towards a more sustainable and globally competitive tourism future.
