MURREE: Murree and its adjoining areas are a great attraction for tourists from all over the country and even abroad. Patriata chairlift is one of the major attractions for tourists in the hilly area.

The lift is installed about 15 kilometres from the Murree town, starting from Ghulehrra Gali to Patriata top at an altitude of about 7,500 feet from the sea level.

Patriata was one of the most backward and remote villages of Murree but after the installation of the chairlift a good number of local people got employment and other source of livelihood.

But at the same time, the locals have been complaining that their privacy is at stake due to the chairlift cabins passing above their houses.

They demand that they may be paid compensation to reconstruct their houses somewhere else.

Patriata is visited by tourists all the year around but their influx increases during the summer season. The lift and cable car is 3.25 kilometres long, the largest and most sophisticated in the country.

About one million tourists visit the facility at Patriata every year, according to an official.

More than 0.5 million tickets are sold every year which generate about Rs260 million whereas about Rs50 million are spent on the operation and other expenditure such as salaries of the staff, Mohsin Fazil, general manger Patriata chairlift, told Dawn.

Along with regular employees, a large number of traders are dependent for their livelihood on the tourists.

During the summer, the lift runs to its full capacity while during the off season a 10 per cent discount is offered to students and other groups.

The lift and cable car facility was installed in 1990 by the then Punjab government of Nawaz Sharif with the technical support from an Austrian company.

According to Mr Fazal, the Austrian company is still carrying out maintenance and upgradation of various parts of the lift to keep it safe for the tourists.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2019