Ski resort welcomes tourists as Taleban kicked out of Swat
malam jabba — Atop the piste of Malam Jabba in Pakistan’s once dangerous Swat Valley skiers schuss downhill, a new Chinesebuilt chairlift ferries tourists to the peak, and a luxury hotel is under construction to replace one torched by the Taleban.
The Taleban declared skiing “unIslamic” during their 2007-2009 reign of terror over Swat, but improved security in recent years has allowed ski tourism to re-emerge on Malam Jabba, a hill station in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
Locals tout Swat as “the Switzerland of Pakistan”, with an international ski tournament held there in January.
But the experience is uniquely Pakistani. Army checkpoints abound, while gun-toting policemen riding up the mountain flout chairlift signs warning: “No Smoking, No Weapons”.
There is no apres-ski boozing as alcohol is banned, nor Swiss Raclette cheese, but lentil curry and deep-fried kebab patties make ample fuel for skiers.
“I have never seen snow before. I am very excited,” said Usman Shaukat, a 22-year-old student from the sweltering Punjab in the south after his first ski lesson.
Shaukat, who travelled some 600km and braved pot-holed mountain roads by public bus to reach the ski slopes, is part of a new wave of domestic tourists emerging as security improves, the middleclass prospers and social media sites like Facebook reveal a Pakistan many never knew existed.
It is also easier for Pakistanis to explore their own country than holiday abroad. Regional road trips are difficult, with war-torn Afghanistan and arch-foe India next door, while the United States and many European countries have tightened visa restrictions as part of tougher security measures. Part-time travel blogger Saira Ali, 27, began exploring her own nation after the United States denied her a visa in 2013.
“If my visa had not been rejected, I wouldn’t have seen Pakistan,” said Ali, who charts her travels on Instagram.
Growing car ownership and freshly-paved roads have cut journey times to remote holiday destinations, swelling the number of adventure seekers in a nation of 200 million people. Hotel owners say Pakistan’s isolation has been a blessing for business. Last summer, visitors to cool northern areas slept in cars as budget hotels sold out, say tourist guides.
Guesthouses are now popping up along roads to Pakistan’s northern mountains, which until 1970s were a stop-off for Westerners on the “Hippie Trail”.
Outside Swat’s main city of Mingora, where the Taleban once hanged opponents from electricity pylons, one businessman is ploughing $1.5 million into a 13-floor hotel with 60 rooms and a miniature zoo.
“In the future, Swat will prosper, as security here is now very good,” said Khan, sitting near two caged monkeys.
Militants have lost a lot of territory, but the Taleban and others, including terrorist group Daesh, still carry out periodic large-scale bombings. —