PESHAWAR: The construction work on the Malam Jabba Hotel and skiing resort in the scenic Swat valley is at final stage, which on completion will attract foreign and domestic tourist in large number.
The Malam Jabba Hotel, skiing resort and the chairlift track in the tourist spot was destroyed during the peak phase of terrorism in Swat district.
The Tourism, Sports, Archeology, Museums, Culture and Youth Affairs Department had already opened the chairlift and skiing track for the tourists after its reconstruction.
According to an official statement, the hotel will soon be opened as a large number of international and domestic tourists visit the scenic resorts in Swat at the arrival of winter season and following the snowfall.
The reconstruction work on the tourism-related projects was started when they were handed over to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government following the 18th constitutional amendment. Earlier, the tourist resorts were with the federal government’s Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).
The provincial government first constructed the skiing track and chairlift for the tourists on the 12 acres land near the old PTDC Motel, which had destroyed in the militancy.
The statement said that 257 acres forests near the chairlift and skiing track would be brought under use for the strolling and entertainment by the tourists.
It may be mentioned here that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had directed the relevant authorities in 2016 for the reconstruction of the destroyed infrastructures, including Malam Jabba Hotel, chairlift, skiing track and the adjoining land in the tourist resort.
The projects after completion would usher in a new era of development, employment for local populace and generate revenue for government.
It said the department had initiated a number of projects to restore the natural beauty of scenic Swat valley and attract the local and foreign tourists to the “mini-Switzerland of Pakistan.”
They include three state-of-the-art picnic spots in Malam Jabba, which will have a 90-room hotel, parks, mosque, and rest areas, rain shelters, public washrooms, tea, coffee and tuck shops. The skiing track and an international standard chairlift had already completed and are being used by the tourists.
