by RAJA FAISAL
ISLAMABAD: In order to mark the Independence Day celebration, Malam Jabba uphill competition will be held on 14 August. A large number of players, including national and international players, will take part in the competition.
The event will attract a large number of tourists to the ski resort that was once held by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
Dubai Sports World and Samsons Group are sponsoring the sporting competition.
Since the reactivation of chairlifts, Malam Jabba attracts five to seven thousand tourists daily. Malam Jabba is the only ski resort of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP). The chairlifts of the resort are 1000 metres in length and bring annual earnings of 12 million rupees.
Earlier, Malam Jabba hotel and chairlifts were handed out to Samsons Group on a lease of thirty years. In January, Malam Jabba skiing competition was held successfully at the same venue that was attended by more than 30 international athletes.
“We are working tirelessly for the success of the event to mark the 70th independence anniversary of Pakistan. We are aware that the attendance of international sportspersons in the event will enhance international tourism in Pakistan”, Samsons Group GM Yaqoob Khan told Pakistan Today.
The valley was financially hit badly by Taliban occupation in 2007. Tourism and skiing infrastructure and businesses in Swat took a severe financial burden. The resort was converted into a militant hideout. Though Pakistan Army retook the valley from Taliban with the initiation of Operation Black Thunderstorm (Rah-e-Raast) in April 2009, as the army closed in on positions of the militants, they destroyed the ski lift and the hotel at the resort was set ablaze. The army recaptured Swat, but years of uncertainty had badly impacted international skiing in Pakistan.