Broken roads have been left to further fall apart, causing many problems for the residents of Swat as well as those who wish to enjoy the calming beauty of the valley for a brief sojourn. PHOTO: SHERINZADA/EXPRESS
“That road you see,” Afreen Khan gestured, “It’s not some archeological ruin; it’s the road which is supposed to take you through one of the most beautiful valleys in the world.”
Swat used to be a tourist magnet – people from all over the country would flock there to enjoy fruit orchards, lakes and streams and an overall fascinating landscape. This year, if terrorism is not a concern, getting to the destination definitely is.
Broken roads have been left to further fall apart, causing many problems for the residents of Swat as well as those who wish to enjoy the calming beauty of the valley for a brief sojourn.
As a hotel owner, Afreen said, he suffered the consequences of dilapidated roads. The 50-year-old complained that instead of inviting his relatives to visit Kalam, his town, he told them they were not allowed to visit.
Muzaffar Hussain is a 48-year-old cabbie from Swat. He told The Express Tribune he has been driving a taxi for nearly 24 years during which he witnessed many a flight bringing tourists from Islamabad and Peshawar. None of these tourists had to worry about how they would travel the valley.
Another taxi driver, sixty-year-old Haji Amin, echoed Hussain’s concerns, “Instead of developing Swat, the valley is on its downfall.”
A long way from home
“I’m happy to be in Swat, but five hours to cover a two-hour journey? It really spoiled it for us,” said Ayesha, who was visiting from Karachi. The government must reconstruct the roads to reduce the problems, she added.
All Swat Hotel Association (ASHA) President Haji Zahid Khan shared there are 840 hotels in Swat. More than 0.4 million people live of this business, said Zahid. “With ramshackle roads, tourism doesn’t stand a change – tourists will never reach the sites of the valley.”
First it was terrorism, then it was broken roads, added Zahid. “Roads are the backbone for any area; if the spine doesn’t work, how will the body function?”
Swat District Coordination Officer Muhammad Aslam countered, saying “Some of Swat’s roads are already under construction. A 15-kilometre-long road from Fateh Pur to Bahrain will be completed by the end of July.”
Work on a 34-kilometre-long road from Bahrain to Kalam has not started because they have not received funds, he added.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 19th, 2014.
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