MINGORA: More and more people are turning to the picnic spots of the mountainous Swat valley from all around the country for respite from the scorching hot days in their respective areas.

Owners of local hotels expect a good business this summer.

Waseem Pirzada of Lahore told Dawn that he’d come to Swat along with 20 friends on motorcycles to enjoy pleasant weather when his town was in grip of heat wave.

He said it was the second time that he and his friends had showed up and scenic hamlets of the valley were the only reason for it.

“Swat has so many places to the attraction of tourists. I must say the people from other parts of the country should come here at least once in their lifetime,” he said.

Ansar Naqshbandi, another visitor from Lahore, said he was excited to find natural beauty all around.

“If someone wants to free himself or herself of boring routine and scorching heat for some days, Swat is the best place in Pakistan for the summer season,” he said.

Gohar Ali of Charsadda said his family usually came to Swat in summer.

“We feel quite comfortable whenever we come here. Local residents are very kind to visitors,” he said.

Ilyas Khan of Peshawar said he and his family had planned to rent a house in Swat, especially in Maindam, for Ramazan.

These days, people from different parts of Swat also throng picnic spots near the Swat River.

Nawab Khan of Mingora said he’d come to Fazagat along with friends to enjoy the cold weather along the bank of the Swat River.

“Most of Mingora residents cool themselves off in the river water,” he said.

He, however, warned that diving in the river sometimes got risky, so the people should be careful about it.

BOY DROWNS: An infant died after falling from a chairlift into in the Swat River in Dadahara area on Saturday.

According to the local police, the incident occurred after nine-month-old Abubakar slipped out of his mother’s hands. The woman also jumped into the river to save son, but to no avail. However, the people rescued the woman.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2014