Tourism suffers huge setback in Swat

Associated Press, July 9, 2008

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Swat, once the pride of tourism in the region and rightly called Pakistan's matching response to Switzerland, is no more presents the same picture.

<< Shankaradara Stupa, Swat Pakistan

Those who once gladly rushed to the place and were always in a hurry to find a place in its splendour now keep themselves away from it. What has happened? The answer is simple. The eruption of extremism has shaken the area. It has dealt a blow to the congenial atmosphere. It scares the local as well as foreign tourists. The peaceful environment so essential for tourism has been disturbed. The area has fallen victim to militancy.

The unrest in the picturesque valley not bode well. It has led to a loss of billions of rupees, besides rendering jobless thousands of people who since ages have been engaged in tourism.The gem of Pakistan tourism that once attracted tourists from all over the world, with its roads meandering the mountainous region along the River Swat, is now fighting the menace of extremism.

"Once we would run short of accommodation for tourists, but today we are waiting for them to come," said Badshah, a local tour operator. To add salt to wounds, militants only recently torched the country's only ski resort Malam Jabba.

Residents said a large portion of the resort had been reduced to ashes and the militants also damaged chair-lifts and a tower belonging to the meteorological department.

The PTDC-owned hotel, located some 150 kilometres north of Islamabad at an altitude of 2,636 metres (9,200 feet), was closed down several months ago. The reason was of course unfavourable conditions. PTDC officials feel equally worried over decline of tourism in NWFP. The Corporation is facing financial hardship in the wake of devastating earthquake in October 2005 that reduced a number of hotels/motels to debris.

"We've had tremendous tourism in Swat, both domestic and foreign-- but it is no more," PTDC Managing Director Brig (R) Amanullah told APP. He, however, hoped the situation would soon become normal once the law and order was restored which had gradually started improving.

Swat occupied unique position that kept enchanting nature lovers at home and abroad for years.

"I always felt crazy about Swat in summer. I have been to many places around the country, but none impressed me as much as Swat," said Haseeb Gul, a local tourist.

Malam Jabba ski resort stands on top of a mountain of the Hindukush range, north east of Saidu Sharif. Blessed with natural beauty and boastful of Gandhara civilization, it possessed modern tourist facilities. It had a 52- room motel, 2 skiing platforms, chairlifts, roller/ice skating rinks, restaurant, telephone and snow clearing equipment, etc. Extremism in the remote areas also poses a problem because it has disturbed peaceful and scenic areas of Pakistan, such as the famed Swat valley. Swat Valley has everything which makes Alpine Valleys so popular, white water streams, thick forests showing off their magnificent mountain slopes, lush green meadows and not to forget beautiful snow covered mountains.

Swat, the land of romance and grandeur, is held in reverence throughout the world as the holy land of Buddhist learning and piety. It acquired fame as a place of Buddhist pilgrimage. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha himself came to Swat during his last reincarnation as the Guatama Buddha and preached his teachings to the people here.

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot
NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your name in the payment slip. Thank you.


Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.



For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team


Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv


TOP