Kumrat Valley - Exploring bounties of nature.

KUMRAT -- Bewitching natural beauty, cultural richness and unparalleled hospitality of the diverse tourist's destinations in Pakistan have always contributed to captivate the attention of local and exotic nature as well as generate handsome revenues.

Bestowed with uncountable benediction, Pakistan's plains and hilly areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Kashmir and Northern areas present ample opportunities of amusement to hundreds of thousands tourist thronging these places every year.

Kumrat Valley, situated in the Upper Dir district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is also one of the beautiful discoveries of the social media with all its attractions of green pastures, snow clad mountains, the river Panjkora, foggy mounds and imperturbable beauty of the forest.

'The year 2016 proved as a turning point for the hidden beauty of Kumrat Valley to be revealed through social media and soon it became one of the famous tourist's destinations for the visitors', Assistant Commissioner, Sheringal, Muhammad Yar Khan said.

'Before 2016, there was not even a single hotel in the valley for the tourists to stay but later on small hotels were constructed in the forests by the local people to facilitate visitors,' he added.

The place is so beautiful that despite a 48 kilometer dilapidated track from Sheringal, Union Council in Upper Dir, tourist embark on this journey to visit the heavenly place. Although, this track was repaired sometimes back but damaged again due to frequent snowfall.

'Despite the poor road conditions, around 6,000 visitors entered Kumrat Valley on the first day of Eid-ul Fitr, 8,000 on the second and 10,000 plus on the third day of Eid,' Muhammad Yar Khan said.

He said for facilitation of the visitors the administration maintains strict law and order. 'Not even a single crime was reported during last one year of my posting therefore visitors can freely roam around the valley without any threat.'

Muhammad Yar however mentioned to dearth of good doctors, educationists and other professionals in the area as most of the people after getting good education move to cities or abroad for job purposes.

Former Prime Minister, Muhammad Nawaz Sharif visited the place during his tenure and wanted to give it the status of a National Park. But, local people resisted this proposal fearing that their land and forests would be confiscated by the government.

Pakistan People's Party government established Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University in Sheringal in 2016 and the PTI...