January 17, 2021
Amidst a delayed tourist season, Swat police’s overreaction on a viral video brings back haunting memories of Taliban days
Atop Malam Jabba, situated 8,700 feet above sea level at a distance of around 40 kilometres from Swat valley’s headquarters Saidu Sharif, tourists try to ski downhill under the watchful eyes of professional coaches. A chairlift takes them uphill where they queue up at the top of the hill to experience the adventure of riding 1,000 feet high and 2,000 feet long zipline that ends at the top of a luxury hotel, run by Pearl-Continental Hotels and Resorts — Pakistan’s leading chain of hotels, constructed to replace the one torched by the Taliban.