Abandoned passageway in AJK's Ambore turned into tourist spot.

MUZAFFARABAD -- The tourism and archaeology department of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) has renovated a disused historic underground passageway of a main artery near here as a fascinating tourist spot to be opened for the public later this month.

About 250-foot-long tunnel and its surroundings near Ambore, about five kilometres south of here, will offer a wonderful view and atmosphere to the visitors heading towards or returning from state capital Muzaffarabad via Kohala, officials said.

'I think it's the best utilisation of this archaeological site,' said Rashid Hanif, head of the tourism and archaeology department, of the tunnel carved through a mountain during the construction of [initially unmetalled] road from Rawalpindi to Srinagar in the late 19th century.

The road was initially used by bullock and horse carts while cars and buses started plying through it much later, presumably in the second decade of the 20th century.

Tunnel was carved through a mountain during construction of road from Rawalpindi to Srinagar in late 19th century, says official

A small bridge over a stream merging into the nearby Jhelum River would take the traffic to the mouth of the tunnel from its northern side where the AJK capital is situated.

According to Engr Tariq Mahmood Shola, a former AJK secretary for communication and works (C and W), the roof of the tunnel was chiselled out in 1973 to add clear height for vehicles while an alternate track was carved on its outer side in 1975 to pave way for two-way traffic.

In 2003, the alternate route was widened and connected with a new big bridge and entire traffic from both sides was diverted to it, rendering the tunnel and the small bridge unused. Ironically, in the aftermath of the 2005 earthquake, the abandoned tunnel and the space on its northern side, including the small bridge, were grabbed by some locals by setting up a 'block factory' thereon.

They were, however, evicted in June 2014 through a grand operation during the PPP...