MANSEHRA: The district administration has asked the tourists not to visit the Kaghan and Shogran valleys and warned that the violators will face legal action.

The decision was made after members of the hoteliers association come onto the roads when assistant commissioner, Balakot, Nawab Sameer sealed many hotels in Naran, the commercial centre of Kaghan valley, and warned tourists present there to leave the valley, or face action.

“The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has put in place a ban on tourism activities in province and tourists are directed not to visit Kaghan valley, Shogran and other such areas in the Mansehra district, and those in breach of the restriction, would be turned back,” deputy commissioner Aurangzeb Haider Khan said in a circular issued on Sunday, being the public holiday.

Meanwhile, Seth Matiullah, president of the hoteliers association in Kaghan valley, while addressing a press conference, asked the government not to allow traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan through the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road in order to completely seal the valley until the ban on tourism activities was lifted.

Order says visitors will be turned back from checkposts

Meanwhile, workers attached with hotels and picnic spots in Kaghan valley have demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to restore tourism activities before Eidul Azha as the current season would come to an end by mid August.

“We have been following the SOPs set by the government to contain spread of coronavirus in Kaghan valley, but the hotels and picnic spots are still without customers as government is yet to restore tourism activities in the province,” Mohammad Amjid, a tea stall vender in Malkandi area of Kaghan valley, said.

“We have been without work since November last year when Kaghan valley was completely blocked because of heavy snowfall, but now Covid-19 has left us hand-to-mouth,” he said.

Mohammad Khan, a tour operator from Islamabad, said hundreds and thousands of workers had been rendered jobless.

“The government should restore tourism before Eidul Azha as current season is going to be wrapped up by the middle of next month,” he said.

LICENCE FEE WAIVER LAUDED: The business community has lauded the tehsil municipal administration for waiving traders’ licence fee for the ongoing fiscal year.

“Because of coronavirus pandemic, the traders have been facing financial crunch, and in this situation, waiving off traders’ licence fee is an important step taken by the TMA,” Haroon-ur-Rasheed, former president of traders’ body, told reporters.

A group of traders led by Mr Rasheed said they had moved an application with the TMA, seeking waiver of licence fee.

“We have also appealed to both federal and provincial governments to provide relief to traders in taxes and provide them interest-free loans,” said Mr Rasheed.

Published in Dawn, July 20th, 2020