MANSEHRA/MINGORA/ABBOTTABAD: Tourists thronged picnic spots of Kaghan, Swat and Galayat on Eid days.

However, they complained about the prolonged traffic jams and overcharging by hoteliers.

In Mansehra, manger of a hotel Asghar Shah said many tourists had to sleep on footpaths and in open spaces after failing to find rooms in hotels.

Mohammad Bilal of Peshawar said on average, hotels charged Rs15,000 for a room with two beds instead of the routine 2,000-Rs3,000.

Visitors complain about traffic jams, overcharging by hoteliers

He said there was crowds of visitors in Naran and Saiful Muluk lake.

The tourist said tents were rented out at a very high price.

“If you need a tent, then you will have to fish Rs5,000-Rs6,000 per night out of your pocket,” he said.

The visitors also complained roads to the Kaghan valley remained blocked on Eid days, while the Abbottabad-Mansehra section of Karakoram Highway and Mansehra-Naran section of Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road was jammed stressing out motorists.

“I’ve travelled from Abbottabad to Mansehra in four hours though the travel normally takes half an hour,” said tourist Sahibzada Javed Alfaizi.

Tourists enjoyed rain in Kaghan valley on Thursday.

The rain, which began early in the day, turned weather very pleasant.

In Mingora, too, people from all over the country thronged picnic places during Eid holidays.

However, they’re inconvenienced by dilapidated roads.

Zahid Khan of All Swat Hotel Association said over 20,000 families had been visited the Swat valleys.

He said the administration diverted traffic to the bypass so that the people could reach Kalam valley, Malam Jaaba, Bahrain and other picnic spots of the district without entering Mingora city.

He said pleasant weather was the major reason of the area attracting visitors.

Local jeep driver Saleem Iqbal said he covered short distances in hours due to the frequent traffic jams.

“We usually travel between Mingora city and Matta tehsil in 45 minutes but on the second day of Eid, it took over three hours,” he said.

The driver said it was a good sign that the people preferred Swat to other tourist places as it would promote local tourism.

Imran Khan of Mardan said he had come to Swat along with family to enjoy Eid holidays,

He said weather in the district was very pleasant.

He said if the government ensured better facilities, Swat could be a big tourist destination for locals and foreigners.

In Abbottabad, a huge influx of tourists was seen during Eid holidays.

All roads to the area remained jammed.

Long queues of vehicles bound for Naran and Kaghan were seen on the main Karakoram Highway, while tourists going to Nathiagali and Thandiyani remained stuck on the Abbottabad-Murree Road for hours.

Many vehicles broke down on their way to the tourist destinations.

Some motorcyclists were seen doing a wheelie on local roads endangering their lives along with those of other road users.

Families were seen barbecuing along the Abbottabad-Thandiyani Road and Abbottabad-Murree Road.

Many visitors complained they didn’t get rooms in local hotels and had to spend nights in vehicles.

They also complained hoteliers overcharged tourists.

THREE KILLED: Three tourists, including two brothers, were killed and four were injured when a car plunged into a deep ravine in Shogran area of Kaghan valley on Friday.

The incident occurred on Kawai-Shogran Road after the car’s brakes failed.

Station house officer of Balakot Mohammad Arshad said confirmed the deaths.

He said the deceased were Ashiq Hussain, brother Zakir Hussain and relative Mohammad Ishaq, while injured included Waqar Azeem, son of Ashiq Hussain, and their family member Sajjad Aslam and two local residents were injured in the accident.

The SHO said the family had come to Kaghan valley from Punjab’s Kasur town to spend Eid days and that they were returning home when the incident happened.

The local people along with the police retrieved the bodies and the injured and shifted them to the civil hospital in Balakot.

The police later registered a case and began investigation into the accident to know its exact cause.

The SHO asked tourists to drive carefully in Kaghan valley, especially on the steep Kawai-Shogran Road.

He said the incidence of accidents on the road was high and that more than a dozen tourists had lost life during the last two months near the Kunhar River.

BODY RECOVERED: A man was found dead along the Swat River in Ogdu area on Thursday.

The police said the deceased seemed to be 50.

They said they had shifted the body to a local hospital for autopsy.

Published in Dawn, August 1st, 2014