Swat valley ski resort inches toward recovery

SWAT: Pakistan’s famous tourist resort of Malam Jabba may have survived the Taliban, but it will need the government’s attention to regain its lost glory.
In 2007 the Taliban seized control of the picturesque Swat valley and made Malam Jabba their stronghold. The militant group destroyed the ski lift and torched the only hotel in the area, which was owned and operated by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).
The situation improved after the government launched a military operation in 2009 and reclaimed its lost territory. Soon after that the area started attracting tourists again, though the damage done to the resort was not entirely reversed.
Today, hoteliers complain that the government has not paid enough attention to Malam Jabba. Many of them believe that the provincial administration only takes cosmetic measures, such as setting up tents, stalls and decorations during festivals in the valley. They say officials have not been working toward infrastructure development.
One of the hoteliers, Zakirullah, told Arab News that there was no security problem in the valley since the threat from the Taliban was over.
“The Malam Jabba snow festival attracts large crowds, including foreigners. However, the road leading to the area needs renovation and it has been neglected for a long time,” he said.
Samsons’ Malam Jabba Ski Resort representative Umair Sami said the company has started reconstructing the hotel destroyed by the Taliban.
“We have got this hotel on a 40-year lease and are bearing all the expenses of its construction now,” he said. “It’s going to be a five-star hotel that will have a swimming pool along with zip-line, ice-skating and rope-course facilities.”
He said the government should take more measures to support them. “We have spent three years on the construction work, and our hotel will soon be ready. However, Malam Jabba needs better roads. It also requires uninterrupted power supply,” he said.
Essa Khankhel, who frequently visits the area, said that the road between Mangalore and Malam Jabba was in a dilapidated condition.
“A contractor was working on the road, but then he left without completing the construction work. Now the road is causing greater annoyance to the tourists,” he said.
Khankhel said the local population also faced problems commuting due to the bad road network. He said that the area had suffered due to the Taliban attacks and the government should launch development projects and improve its infrastructure.
The nazim of Malam Jabba’s Union Council, Shah Ristan, told Arab News that many residents of the area had moved to Peshawar after the Taliban took control of the scenic valley. These people were now back in their hometowns and waiting for the government to help them deal with the aftermath of the Taliban occupation.
Hayat Ali Shah, senior general manager and acting chief planning officer of the Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, told Arab News that a new contractor had been employed to revamp the road. “It will be ready by June 2018,” he said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Tourism Secretary Muhammad Tariq said that the provincial government was undertaking schemes to promote tourism.
“See the history of our province and compare the current government’s work with what was done by previous administrations,” he said. “We have done record work in Galyat and Kalam. Now we have also leased out the hotel in Malam Jabba since we want to attract more tourists.”
He added that the government was trying to improve the road network and solve other problems in the area.