Protection from Covid-19: Thousands of tourists barred from entering Upper Dir

DIR: Thousands of tourists eager to visit tourist spots, including Kumrat, Lowari and Usheri Darra, returned disappointed from various checkposts after they were barred from the valley as a precautionary measure to stop the Covid-19 spread.

The provincial government and Upper Dir district administration had banned the tourist entry in to the district before Eidul Fitr. Long queues of vehicles were seen at various checkposts, including Akhgram, Chukiatan, Jetkot, and others in the district. The tourists as well as the local people had to wait for hours to explain the purpose of visiting the district.

“Many of them had to spend nights at the checkposts because they were not allowed to reach Kumrat and others tourist spots by the personnel of Levies and police deployed there,” said a tourist, adding, they did not know about the ban to enter the tourist spots. A tourist from Lahore, who was stopped at Akhgram, said that he had come along with his other friends on bikes from Lahore to visit the scenic valley of Kumrat. However, they were extremely disappointed after learning that the visit to these tourist spots had been banned. He said the government should have properly informed the tourists in advance about the closure of picnic spot to save them from embarrassment.

The tourists said they wished they could visit the valley, however, what they could do when they were not being allowed to go to there. The officials of the district administration claimed that they had run a campaign before Eidul Fitr, asking the tourists not to visit the tourist spots. The coronavirus pandemic has affected tourism badly in Upper Dir. The businessmen related to the sector expressed concern over the ban on the entry of the tourists in to the district.