Written by: Deena Habib
We breathe the smoke and we see the trash. The state of Karachi’s natural environment is undeniably abysmal – in some areas near-apocalyptic. It’s easy to lose any hope of things getting better.
But there’s a group of people who are defying the odds, working hard to elevate the environmental consciousness of our nation.
TACTACK is a company dedicated to creating engaging opportunities to connect to nature, all while empowering local communities in Pakistan. They plan and offer made-to-order recreational, corporate, and educational Eco-tours of a variety of Pakistan’s natural sites, from the crystal waters and rocky hills of Bhit Khori to the stunning valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan.
Started by Absar Khan, who found an immense healing from the natural world during his battle with leukemia, TACTACK is based on a deep love for the Earth. Their excursions prioritize trace-free practices, and guarantee meaningful and high-quality experiences. We spoke with Absar to get a deeper sense of the work they are doing for our planet.
“Our mission is pretty straightforward-,” says Absar, “- to facilitate and be a part of people’s reconnecting to nature. Everyone is born with that innate connection to nature: and we forget. Our job at TACTACK is to try and show the way a little bit, and let people reconnect. And that’s it.”
But why should TACTACK be your sought-after tourism company?
Not only are their programs life-changing, but they also empower local communities. A large chunk of their proceeds go to communities of the eco sites. TACTACK also provides the communities with the training, tools, and skills they need in order to start hosting the tours themselves. Eventually this will grow into a network of self-sustaining satellite community sites all over Pakistan.
And the results are quite profound. TACTACK has witnessed the local communities taking a lot of ownership and responsibility over the environment around where they live. “People are taking more and more action to take on this responsibility and spread environmental consciousness. They’re starting to say, it doesn’t matter how much money you have. This is our home and we’re going to take care of it. They’re from really difficult backgrounds, so you can understand that the environment may not be their number one priority – which is absolutely fine, because they do need to survive and feed their families. But they are seeing the value in having a clean environment and quality standards of procedures. Witnessing these shifts, this is one of the reasons why we love working in Pakistan.”
TACTACK’s long-term vision is to ensure that Pakistan’s beauty in all these places be truly recognized and looked after responsibly. This consciousness is vital for the protection and healing of our Earth. By participating in TACTACK’s eco tours, you have the opportunity to not only be a part of this movement, but also to empower communities across the nation to do the same.
Book your experience now at TACTACK’s website or facebook page!
