by Fakhar Alam
Internationally known as home to the world’s second tallest mountain K-2 (8,611meters), Pakistan is a unique country for having five highest mountain peaks of over 8,000 meters and 108 peaks above 7,000 meters on earth attracting trekkers, mountaineers and adventure sports lovers from across the world to explore.
A country with centuries old Ghandhara and Indus civilizations, indigenous Kalash culture, geographical, and ethnic diversity, Pakistan’s 61 percent areas are covered by mountains including five of the world’s tallest picturesque peaks including K-2 (8,611m), Nanga Parbath (8,126m), Gasherbrum-I (8,068m), Broad Peak (8,047m) and Broad Peak Middle (8016m) that was beyond the human imagination.
Known as mountains’ wonder, Pakistan’s five peaks are among the 14 peaks of above 8,000 meters height found on this planet. The country is also blessed with 108 peaks of above 7,000 meters and thousands more peaks of above 6,000 and 5000 meters height draw mountaineers and adventure sports lovers from across the globe throughout the year.
Blessed with the highest mountain ranges of Hamalya, Karakuram and Hindokash, Pakistan’s northern cities including Gilgit, Chilas, Hunza, Sakardu, Astore in Gilgit Baltistan, Chitral, Dir, Kohistan, Swat, Shangla, Malakand, Buner, Torghar, Abbottabad, Manshera, Suleman Range in DI Khan, merged areas in KP, Murree in northern Punjab and Azad Kashmir are the most suitable for mountain tourism.
In addition to archeological, religious and ecotourism attractions, Khyber Pakthunkhwa has been bestowed with over 1,130 mountain peaks including picturesque Tirich Mir (7,708m), the tallest mountain peak in Hindukash range and the world highest outside Himalaya and Karakuram ranges and Boni Zom peak (6,542m) in Chitral, Flask Sair (5,957m) at Ushu Valley, Mankiyal peak (5,650m) in Swat, Malaka Parbath peak (5,290m) at Kaghan Valley Manshera, Miranjani peak (2,992m), Mukeshpur peak (9,200m) in Abbottabad, Koh-e-Suleman peak (3,487m) at DI Khan, and Elum peak (2800m) at Swat-Buner where substantial increase in number of mountaineers has been witnessed since 2015 courtesy to the present government’s pro-tourism policies and massive investment in tourism sector.
“Swat is my favorite hilly tourist destination due to its seven unique features including tallest snow-clad mountain peaks of Falak Sair, Elum and Mankiyal, 150 kilometers long fresh water of River Swat originating from Gabral mountain range, over 50 high altitude lakes including the famous Mahudhand, Ghandhara sites, Deodar and pine forest, which are second to none in any other districts of Pakistan,” said Manzoorul Haq, former Ambassador of Pakistan while talking to APP.
Appreciating the beauty of Falak Sair and Elum mountains, he said, “I had travelled to so many countries but could not find mountainous beauty of Swat anywhere that take tourists to the lap of serene”, adding, skiing and skating at Malam Jabba, trout fish amid moderate to heavy snowfalls and Swat Motorway are other features making Swat a tourism capital of Pakistan.
The entire Malakand division has been opened for tourism due to Swat Motorway where 1.5 million tourists and adventure sports lovers had visited Swat, 1,20,000 in Kurmat Dir Upper and 500,000 in Chitral besides one million to Galiyat and 2,20,000 to Kaghan, Naran during the vacation of Eid ul Azha last year.
The enhanced roads infrastructure and tourism activities had generated wealth in large scale in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with a record Rs 66 billion businesses and Rs 26 billion earned by rural population only from tourism during the Eid holidays.
To reduce tourists’ load on the established hilly stations, the KP Tourism Department and World Bank have also signed an MoU for developing tourism integrated zones (ITZs) under the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE).
Tauseef Khalid, Project Director KITE told APP that feasibility studies for the development of four ITZs at Mankial Swat 754 kanal, Thandiani Abbottabad 640 kanal, Ganol Manshera 480 kanal and Madaklasht Lower Chitral 540 kanal was on advanced stage and work on these new hilly stations would start soon.
“World Bank would provide USD 70 million for ITZs, infrastructure development including widening and rehabilitation of roads and institutional uplift through sustainable tourism development besides protection of heritage sites,” he said, adding, the two roads to ITZs Mankiyal and Thandyani would also be constructed. “These ITZs would be developed by 2025 that would turn Pakistan an international centre for tourists.”
Sajjad Hameed, General Manager, KP Culture and Tourism Authority said 44 MoUs worth USD 8 billion signed between different departments of KP government and international firms during Dubai Expo 2022 where a Malaysian firm conducting feasibility studies on ITZs’ have given detailed presentations to investors.
Muhammad Ali Syed, General Manager, KPCTA said the proposed 14 kilometers long cable car project to connect Kumrat valley Dir Upper and Madaklasht Chitral Lower would be completed with an estimated cost of Rs 32 billion that on completion would attract over 10 million tourists annually to Malakand division.
Under Waterfall Project, he said waterfalls of Sajkot, Noori, Chajjian Haripur, Jarogo Swat, Lanchar Dir, Umbrella Abbottabad would be developed and new camping pods at Larum Top and Shahin Bin Shahi Lower Dir, Kumrat Dir Upper, Broghal and Sorlaspur at Chitral Upper, Shangla, Samana Haripur, Sulatharn Swat and Kalam would be setup.
Shandor, Broghal and Gabin Jabba festivals were planned while Kaghalasht snow festival has recently attracted tourists at Upper Dir in droves. Six new tourism development authorities for Kalam, Kumrat, Galiyat, Kaghan, Kalash and Peshawar were set up.
Ishtaiq Khan, Project Director C&TA for Merged Tribal Districts said that feasibility study of three mega projects including infrastructure development worth Rs three billion, construction of jeepable tracks costing Rs1.5 billion and tourism events in merged areas worth Rs 450 million has been started under Accelerated Implementation Program.
In the first phase, tourism spots would be developed in accessible areas while in the second phase these projects would be expanded to remote and far flung areas besides 10 camping pods would be established in tribal districts.
Abu Zafar Sadiq, Prominent mountaineer and President Alpine Club of Pakistan said Naltar Skardu, Kalam, Trich Mir, Murree and Malam Jabba were the most suitable destination for mountaineering and skiing sports if developed could attract international mountaineers throughout the year with positive impact on national economy.
He said Pakistan had produced great mountaineers like Ali Sadpara, Nazir Sabir, Ashraf Aman and Samina Khyal Baig who earned name for the country and added that government’s patronage to this sector would help grow sustainable mountain tourism in the country.
