MINGORA: Tourists from across the country are enjoying a ride on the chairlift, installed after eight years of long wait at the 9,200-feet high Malam Jabba tourist resort.

The previously installed chairlift constructed with the financial assistance of the Austrian government was destroyed during insurgency in 2008.

However, in 2014, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government announced to reconstruct the Malam Jabba ski resort featuring a four-star hotel, a chairlift, a cable car, snowboarding and ski slopes for national and international tourists. This season, the cable car started operations to transport tourists to the peak of Malam Jabba offering panoramic view.

“I came to Swat for the first time and found it one of the most charming tourist spots in the country. Malam Jabba has so many things to offer to tourists, particularly its lush green mountains, thick forests and hospitable people,” Marvi Aimon, a tourist from Karachi told Dawn, saying the chairlift was a bit scary, but full of fun.

She invited Pakistanis to visit Swat once in their life at least as it was safe and beautiful.

Tourists expressed their joy that Swat was once again attracting tourism after insurgency.

Asad Ijaz, a tourist from Mansehra, said he visited Swat after 20 years and could see many changes after insurgency hit the beautiful valley.

“It is good that peace has finally returned to the valley and tourists have started coming to this beautiful place. This is really encouraging that tourists from as far as interior Sindh, Punjab and other parts of the country are flocking to Swat.”

“Installation of chairlift here would help further promote tourism in the area as it offers a complete view of the valley,” he said.

Tourists said the striking landscape of Malam Jabba was beyond everything as tourists could go to the mountain peaks, lush green pastures, travel inside the forests and drink spring water.

Abdul Samad Khan, a tourist from Shangla, said he frequently visited Malam Jabba, but was astonished to see the addition of chairlift and some other development works.

“With the newly built facilities for tourists Malam Jabba has become the most attractive part in Pakistan,” he said.

“Though the road from Mingora to Malam Jabba is only 45 kilometers long it took us three hours to reach here because of its bad condition. If the government reconstructs the road more tourists will come,” said Samad Khan.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2016