No public or private guest house will charge tourists between 1st to 7th August
In a rare show of hospitality towards its visitors, a “rent-free week” has been announced at the scenic Neelum Valley from Aug 1-7.
No guesthouse or rest house, either private or public, would charge the tourists for accommodation during that week, but only for food or other items of necessity, according to Deputy Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Fareed.
Neelum Valley – one of the scenic locations of Pakistan, It is named after the Neelum River, which flows through the length of the valley and is located in Pakistan Administered Kashmir. Neelum Valley is about 200 km long bow-shaped thick forested region.
The delighting announcement is that, tourist activities have been restored by the administration in the precarious Neelum Valley after was temporarily ban.
Valley was shortly banned by the administration of the area after cross-LoC attack on an Army vehicle by the Indian troops who violated ceasefire.
However, the district administration in the valley said that the 200 kilometer-long scenic valley has been open for tourists to enjoy the scenic beauty of the area.
Deputy Commissioner Chaudary Muhammad Fareed stated that the ban was levied on the entry of the tourists in the area to avoid the slip-out in the downstream areas as the visitors are not much aware of the landscape of the valley.
“The temporary ban put in place in the interest of the safety of tourists has however been lifted today. Now tourists are at liberty to enter the valley and explore its scenic beauty as and when they like, without any hassle,” Deputy Commissioner Fareed stated.
He also ensured that there is nothing to fear and the valley is threat-less and the tourists are invited to enjoy the scenic landscapes of the area in this amazing weather.
Mr Fareed also proclaimed that Neelum valley is rent-free from Aug 1-7 and no guest house or rest house, either public or private, is supposed to charge any rent for the tourists.
“This is a token gesture of goodwill for those who did not show any sign of fear and trepidation in the wake of Sunday’s incident as well as for those who have always admired the heavenliness of the valley and have a hankering to visit it over and over again, notwithstanding odds, if any,” Mr Fareed said.
The icy Neelum river running besides twisting Neelum Road serves as the separator between Azad and Indian Occupied Kashmir.
Four soldiers were martyred on the Sunday as a result of Indian shelling on Army vehicle in the Azad Kashmir’s valley of Neelum.
Soon after the incident, the administration had not only made speedy arrangements to remove tourists from the vulnerable areas to comparatively safe places but had also stopped entry of further tourists at Nauseri, the gateway to the valley located some 40km northeast of here.