Tourists facilitated in Malakand on Eid

PESHAWAR: The Malakand Division administration paid special attention to traffic arrangements to facilitate tourists on highways right from Swat Motorway tunnel to Kalam, Kumrat and up to Chitral during Eid holidays.

A handout said Commissioner Riaz Khan Mahsud had made it clear to the officials that the influx of tourists was expected up to next Sunday due to hot season down the country and henceforth administration and police force of every district must make smooth traffic flow its topmost priority to facilitate the tourists.

The administration and police officers were made active for the purpose following the standby instructions of the commissioner.

The district administration and police management in Swat, Upper Dir, Lower Dir and Malakand cancelled the Eid holidays of officers and employees by deploying them at strategic places with special traffic management assignments.

Swat District Police Officer Syed Ashfaq Anwar along with other police officials was patrolling at highways from Swat tunnel to Shamozai, Kabal and Kanju while Additional Deputy Commissioner Fawad Khan was assigned supervision of Mingora Bypass entry points to overcome the traffic rush.

The mobile escort of Swat deputy commissioner assumed the duty of traffic control at Sangota point while Assistant Commissioner Qazi Ihsan along with his revenue staff was busy clearing traffic congestion at Bahrain bazaar.

Similarly, Bahrain tehsildar Sharafat was engaged at Bahrain Bridge, AAC Latif Khan along with revenue staff at Matta Chowk, registrar Shaukat Khan at Mingora Bazaar and AAC Habib at Barikot point to facilitate the smooth flow of tourists' vehicles.

The same method has been also adopted for all other districts of Malakand division wherein the senior officers of the administration and police were busy round the clock to control the traffic on highways in their personal supervision.

Meanwhile, the DIG Malakand Mohammed Saeed Wazir called on Riaz Khan Mehsud at Commissioner House in Saidu Sharif on the second day of Eidul Fitr.

He said that all the officers of administration and police assumed the traffic duties at different strategic points by making it a high priority.

The official said that over 30,000 vehicles entered Swat on the second day of Eid. Over 1000 policemen, 200 Levies and a similar number of Civil Defence volunteers were infused in traffic management duties. Over 170 men were deputed only on Bahrain-Kalam Road.

The Rescue 1122 also extended its medical and emergency services to Kalam with a spirit of serving the tourists devotedly. Two additional rescue ambulances also reached from Peshawar at Bahrain and Kalam civil hospitals for quality treatment facilities there following a request to its headquarters.

Similarly, well-trained professional divers were deputed at Fizagat to immediately reach any point of Swat River on short notice. He said that Fizagat, Kanju Chowk, Matta Chowk and Bahrain bazaar were main points of traffic congestion where the vehicular flow becomes slower due to the entrance of automobiles beyond the roads' capacity.

The commissioner lauded efforts of the police and administration with a hope to keep it up for the larger national cause of the promotion of tourism industry and letting the tourists go back safely to their homes with pleasant memories of the scenic valleys.