ISLAMABAD - The old dream of ski lovers and tourism promoters is coming true as 108-seat ski lift has been installed successfully at Naltar valley in Gilgit Baltistan.
It will be the first ever chair lift in the region and third in Pakistan. Two other lifts are located in Murree and Ayubia, while another lift installed at Malam Jaba Swat was destroyed by the terrorists few years back.
The preliminary testing work of the Naltar chairlift has been completed, however final commencing and operation is expected to be completed by September.
Last year, an agreement took place between a Swiss company and Ski federation of Pakistan, under which the company agreed to donate the lift to Pakistan free Naltar ski resorts. However, other charges like decommissioning from the original site of Switzerland, carriage charges and installation through Swiss company at Naltar had to be borne by Pakistan.
The lift was brought at Ski resort of Nalatar with the help of Swiss-Chinese experts and Pakistani experts started installing the lift at the present site last year.
After hectic efforts of PAF experts, the lift has finally been installed and testing process was completed last week.
The final testing and commissioning shall take place in September, after the award of certification by the Swiss experts who may visit Pakistan.
The tourism experts in the country are giving due importance to the installation, terming it a great promotion of skiing and tourism in the country especially in Gilgit Baltistan. They are of the view that with this facility the Naltar valley shall attract more tourists and ski competitions at international level. , The valley is considered home of skiers as two Olympians and 95 per cent skiers of the country belong to this region.
Due to the prevailing law and order situation, Pakistan has lost almost all the international level competitions, despite the fact that there is a great talent for winter sports in the country. It is hoped that a lot of national and international level ski competitions will be organised with the addition of the ski chairlift and sports activities could revert in the country though Naltar.
Talking to The Nation on Friday, CAA ski coordinator and chairman media cell of Pakistan ski federation Obaid-ur-Rehman Abbasi endorsed the efforts of Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Tahir Raifque Butt, patron in chief of Ski Federation of Pakistan, who has given tremendous support and help in achieving the target.
"Without his help and support, the dream could not become true." Abbasi said. “The plan of constructing wide and international standard road from Gilgit to Naltar is already in the pipeline. After its completion, tourism shall be boomed in the area and tourists would be visiting and staying in Naltar, which is a paradise on earth in both seasons,” he concluded.