CHITRAL: Police rescued a Swiss tourist, who had been stranded in a pasture of Kalash valley Rumbur in Lower Chitral, in the small hours of Saturday and safely escorted him to the nearby village of Orghoch.

The sub-divisional police officer of Ayun, Hassanullah, told this scribe that in his pursuit of tracking to the Kalash valley over the pasture at a height of about 7,000 feet above sea level, Swiss tourist Amadeo left the nearby village of Chitral city on Friday afternoon but local police lost contact with him by the evening.

He said that after receiving the report, he constituted a special team to trace and rescue the tourist while it was still raining and the higher altitude of the pasture was receiving snow.

The official said that after hectic efforts of many hours in the pasture at midnight, the team spotted the foreigner, who had taken shelter in an abandoned corral where shepherds housed their cattle in the summer season.

He said that the rescue team of police found him in sound condition.

He had set fire to warm himself while they waited till sunrise and escorted him safely through the route back to Orghoch village, he added.

The official said that last week, he rescued another foreigner woman tourist from Dubazh area near Bumburate where she was stranded due to rock falling.

He added that he had strict instructions from provincial police chief and regional police officer of Malakand to extend every possible help to foreigners visiting Kalash valleys.

The district police officer, Iftikhar Shah, has announced commendation certificates and prizes for the team taking part in the rescue operation, which saved the life of the foreigner.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2024