SWAT: Visitors from different areas of the country have shown concerns over closure of chairlift, zip line and other facilities at Malam Jabba ski resort, saying it will affect tourism in the valley.

They said that they visited Malam Jabba ski resort to enjoy the natural beauty of the valley through chairlift, zip line and other facilities but they were disappointed to see that the facilities were closed.

“I am disappointed by the closure of chairlift and other rides here because I travelled with my family from Sukkur to enjoy the ride on chairlift and zip line,” said Fasiha Noor, a tourist from Sukkur.

She said that it was disappointing that the tourist facilities were closed owing to tussle between two departments and the government was a silent spectator.

Chairlift, other facilities have been closed owing to dispute over ownership of land

Mohammad Saad, a tourist from Multan, said he was excited to visit Malam Jabba and enjoy the chairlift and zip line but he was shocked to know that those were non-functional.

The tourists said that government should promote tourism by providing facilities to tourists.

“This is strange to see that facilities in Malam Jabba are closed owing to an issue between two government departments,” said Huriya, another tourist from Multan.

She said that her children wanted to enjoy different rides but could not do it and they were going back disappointed.

The locals also said that closure of the chair lift and zip line affected their daily earnings.

“We sell boiled eggs at the top of Malam Jabba ski resort. After the closure of chairlift, nobody goes to the top due to which our sale has decreased,” said Noman, a local vendor.

He said that he would earn Rs1,200 to Rs1,400 on daily basis when the chairlift was open but now he hardly earned Rs200 to Rs300 daily.

The general manager of Malam Jabba ski resort, Peer Waris Shaha, when contacted, said that his company got 275-kanal on lease at Malam Jabba from the provincial government.

“We developed the site, constructed hotel and installed chairlift and zip line. Now tourism activities have been suspended here owing to a dispute between forest and tourism departments over the ownership of the land,” he said.

He said that the closure of the various facilities would affect tourism in the valley. He said that government should allow the company to fence the leased land where it could resume tourist activities.

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2021