The Swat Festival, or Swat Amn Mela, is a step towards reviving tourism, the mainstay of the economy of scenic Malakand division which had been turned into a living hell by hardline cleric Maulana Fazlullah who wanted to impose his own version of Islamic laws in the region.
It is a carnival atmosphere as thousands of people have turned up to see visitors from different parts of the country to watch the Swat Festival. Every face is gleaming with joy. The Swat Festival is a welcome event for the entertainment-starved people of Swat, the region where Maulana Fazlullah and his supporters led a bloody rebellion until they were routed by government troops in 2009. They had tried to erase everything that they thought was un-Islamic, including the centuries-old culture of the Pathan.
Fed up with the activities of militants, residents of Swat fully supported government troops against militants.
It’s a different Swat today, with bazaars crowded with shoppers and people doing their businesses without fear of militants. Today’s Swat owes everything to Pakistan Army troops and law enforcers who laid down their lives to make it possible.
There is a flurry of activity in the main bazaar in Mingora, with taxis and buses honking horns, auto-rickshaws making their way into the bustling bazaar and roadside vendors shouting at the top of their voices to attract customers.
“Swat Festival has been organised to provide relief to the people who underwent psychological trauma under the Taliban,” Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Minister for Tourism Syed Aqil Shah said.
He heaped praises on the Pakistan Army which organised the festival with the assistance of PARSA and local hoteliers. The festival also featured musical shows which attracted artists from other parts of the country.
It also featured events like kite-flying, canoeing, paragliding, dancing, car rallies, sporting events besides all this a poetry recitation.
“Hoteliers in Swat, the popular ski resort in Pakistan, have announced a 50-per cent cut in their charges for guests during the festival,” said Shah. He added that the Swat peace gala was an effort to boost confidence of local people.
It’s quite encouraging that a large number of people are turning up at the festival which shows the scenic valley, once known as “Little Switzerland” is recovering after the reign of terror unleashed by militants.
Local residents are very happy with the event. They hope that the Swat Festival would play a vital role in the revival of tourism which has been a major source of livelihood for them.
“We cannot forget the time when thousands of people displaced by fighting lived in tents under the scorching sun. The people of Malakand division put up a brave fight against militancy,” Shah said. “I cannot forget the day when I first visited a camp where I saw a bare-footed young man. When I asked him, ‘Do you want to play?’ he said, ‘yes’ but I’ve lost my football in the war.”
“We are thankful to the industrialists of Sialkot and the government for their donations of sport gears and we organised ‘Play for Peace Festival’ in each and every camp,” Shah added. “This Amn Mela (Peace Festival) is an effort to express solidarity with the people of Malakand division,” Shah said.
The minister said that the government was planning to lay an Astroturf hockey ground in Kabal sub-division of Swat besides providing facilities of cricket and football to the youth.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 5th, 2010.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ