PESHAWAR, Feb 13 (APP): Snow festivals, a unique feature of winter sports, have brought together thousands of skiers, skaters, snowboarders and adventure enthusiasts from across the country in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa enjoying snow games amid great fun and laughter.
The Khyber Pakthunkhwa’s snow-clad mountainous valleys including Kalam, Madain, Gabin Jabba, Malam Jabba and Mahudhand in Swat, Nathiagali, Ayubia, Khanuspoor in Abbottabad, Naran and Kaghan in Mansehra, Kumrat in Upper Dir and Chitral Lower are attracting an influx of tourists, hikers and skiing lovers to enjoy different snow games including skiing, skating, throwball, snow Kabadi, tug of war, archery, karate, mountain biking, cycle race, snow rugby, besides trout fish and ancient heritage of Ghandhara during snow festivals and winter sports competitions.
Being a home to over 1,130 mountains peaks including the mighty Tirich Mir (7,708m), the tallest mountain peak in Hindukash range and the world highest outside Himalaya and Karakuram ranges, Boni Zom peak (6,542m) in Chitral, Falak Sair (5,957m) at Ushu Valley in Swat, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Government has organised a series of winter sports competitions and snow festivals at the famous snowy resorts of Kalam in Swat, Nathiagali in Abbottabad and Upper Chitral districts, which received tremendous response of winter sports enthusiasts from across the country.
The three-day Kalam snow festival, which was concluded on Sunday, was a centre of attraction of thousands of skiers, skaters, snowboarders, hikers, adventurers, mountaineers, athletes, musicians and foodies amid great funfair, Khattak dance and cultural events.
The frequently visited sites of tourists were kids play area, ice village, stalls of traditional musical instruments used by singers with key features of Khattak dance, Rabab and Tabla, which enthralled tourists.
Free mountain bike, bicycle race, archery and rock climbing added colours to the festival.
“On Friday, I arrived from Peshawar to witness this spectacular Kalam Snow festival amid great fun and laughter for tourists beyond my expectations,” said Ehtisham Qaiser, a lecturer of Urdu Literature while talking to APP.
“Throw ball, tug of war , rocks and mountains climbing amid trout fish has doubled my joy, he said adding the comfortable and smoth journey through Swat Motorway has made the entire Malakand division accessible to tourists, archeologists and adventure enthusiasts.
Swat is going to become a tourism capital of Pakistan due to its seven unique features including the centuries old civilization of Ghandhara, snow-clad mountain peaks of Falak Sair, Mankiyal and Elum, trout fish amid snowfalls, river Swat, 50 lakes, forest and Swat Motorway has made it the Switzerland of Pakistan.
Following a significant increase in tourists inflow to Swat after construction of Swat Motorway, the KP Government has taken a principal decision to construct Swat Motorway Phase II from Chakdara to Madain that would open the entire district for tourism.
Four state-of the art integrated tourism zones (ITZs) would be established at Mankiyal Swat on 754 kanal land, Thandiani Abbottabad on 640 kanal, Ganol Manshera on 480 kanal and Madaklasht Lower Chitral on 540 kanal with assistance of World Bank under Khyber Pakthunkhwa Integrated Tourism Development Project (KITE) worth 70 million dollars that on completion would make Pakistan a great centre for domestic and international tourists.
Tauseef Khalid, Project Director KITE told APP that these ITZs would be established in next three years under KITE worth 70 million dollars investment.
He said this substantial amount would be spent on construction of ITZs, infrastructure development including widening and rehabilitation of roads and institutional uplift through sustainable tourism development besides protection of heritage sites.
Tauseef said two roads to ITZs Mankiyal and Thandyani would also be constructed to make it more accessible for tourists.
Feasibility of ITZs are in advanced stage and practical work to be launched soon after completion of papers and technical work, he added.
Sajjad Hameed, Director KP Culture and Tourism Authority told APP that sports theme park would be constructed on 400 kanal land at Hund in Swabi district for which MoU has already been signed.
Hr said 44 MoUs worth USD 8 billion had been 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 the investors.
Terming Dubai Expo as highly successful for Pakistan, he said foreign investors took keen interest in tourism projects, ITZs and water Sports Theme Park Hund.
In Nathiagali Abbottabad, a three-day snow festival arranged by Galiyat Development Authority (GDA) was also concluded on Sunday where thousands of snow sportsmen and tourists participated with great enthusiasm.
Tourists enjoyed the mesmerizing natural beauty of Ayubia, Donga Gali, Khanaspur, Mushkpuri snow clad top and took a free chairlift ride at Ayubia.
Mountaineering, hiking, sculpture paintings, tug of war, paintball competitions, archery, snow-tubing, music, bike race, snowball, skiing, skating, and snow football matches besides food stalls and cultural events attracted tourists at Nathiagali and Ayubia in droves.
The snow-clad mountains peaks of Mukshpuri and Miranjani on western Himalayan hills near Nathiagali remained centre of attraction of tourists.
Ayubia-Nathiagali, Donga Gali-Ayubia and Mukshpuri Top were the most frequented sites where local guides and horse riders were seen moving around to make a quick buck.
KP Government has planned construction of three new ski resorts in Kaghan, Chitral and Swat while Battakundi-Lalazar chairlift project was under consideration.
Muhammad Ali Syed, General Manager, Cultural and Tourism Authority told APP that waterfalls of Sajkot, Noori, Chajjian Haripur, Jarogo Swat, Lanchar Dir, Umbrella Abbottabad would be devoloped.
He said 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.
Ishtaiq Khan, Project Director C&TA for Merged Tribal Districts told APP that feasibility study of three projects including infrastructure development worth Rs3 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. He said 10 camping pods would be established in tribal districts to facilitate tourists.
Shandor, Broghal and Gabin Jabba festival were planed while Kaghalasht snow festival attracted tourists at Upper Dir in droves.
These snow festivals are generating substantial revenue and alleviate poverty in rural areas besides promoting the soft image of Pakistan of being a tourists friendly country in the world due to its unique tallest mountains, archeology treasures and cultural diversity.