SWAT/MANSEHRA: A record number of tourists from various parts of the country visited picturesque locations in Swat and Kaghan valleys during Eid holidays to enjoy pleasant weather and inspiring landscapes.

Malakand DIG Nasir Mehmood Sati said that more than 700,000 tourists visited Swat and Malakand division during Eid days. He said that stringent security measures were taken to ensure a peaceful Eid.

Tourists from Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Lahore and other parts of the country visited Malam Jabba, Madyan, Bahrain, Kalam, Gabin Jabba and Marghuzar areas in Swat.

“The weather here is quite agreeable. We spent two days here,” Shazia Afaq, a tourist who was resting along the Swat River in Fizagat, told Dawn.

Police and district administration established tourist centres to assist travellers and provide information to them about tourist attractions. Approximately 42,514 vehicles entered the region during Eidul Azha. After enjoying their vacations in Swat, about 209,854 tourists have returned while 110,611 tourists are still in the valley.

Stringent security measures ensure safety and facilitation of travellers

On the complaints of tourists, ADC Sohail Khan stopped Charbagh tehsil municipal administration from collecting tax from vehicles during their visit to Malam Jabba.

The district administration of Mansehra also claimed that a record number of tourists rushed to the scenic Kaghan valley during Eid days.

Deputy Commissioner Bilal Shahid Rao said that around 100,000 visitors visited Kaghan during the three days of Eid. “We have cameras installed at the entrance of the valley according to which as many as 22,500 vehicles and 7,710 motorbikes entered the valley through Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road,” he said.

He said that district administration and police in consultation with the administration of neighbouring Chelas district of Gilgit-Baltistan also decided to lift ban on night travelling on MNJ road.

“We have deployed extra police personnel across the valley for the safety of tourists besides guiding them about the weather and landslide situation,” said Mr Rao.

Police also established control rooms in Mansehra and Balakot to provide information to visitors.

Additional wardens have also been deployed along the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road and Hazara Expressway interchanges, which connect Bakrial road, to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

The tourists are also being sensitised to keep away from the Kunhar River, which according to district administration seems not so deep and enraged but has claimed previous lives of scores of people, mostly tourists.

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2023