Daily Times

UPPER DIR: The lone park across Dir Upper district “Hill Park” is lacking basic facilities owing to which tourists especially children are facing difficulties during their visit to the park.

The park was made on the hill top in Dir Khas in 2006-07 by the then District Nazim, Sahibzada Tariqullah and was made initially to provide entertainment to children of the Dir Khas and other areas of the district. For that purpose swings, slides and others children’s interest instruments had been installed into it.

However, the park got great attention of adult tourists, too, very quickly due to not having of any other park in the district. Tourists within the district and from surrounding districts have been visiting the park for healthy entertainment. The park has seen lot of rash of tourists on occasions of religious and national festivals including Eidul Fitr, Eidul Azha, 14th August etc. Now the park has converted into a family park because families also visiting regularly. A separate portion for women was allocated in the park where only women could go.

Despite getting good attention of people and tourists the park has not given any attention by the authorities.

Lack of basic facilities including shortage of water, food stalls, tuck shops, hotels and other facilities is now order of the day and due to it park is losing the attnention. Tourists mostly children complain about shortage of facilities during visit to the park.

Ghazan, 10-year old, resident of Dir Khas, said that he had come with his father to spend some relax time. He said that he always enjoyed timer in the park whenever he comes to the park because there he got opportunity of playing with other children. However, he had disappointed with the broken instruments in the park including swings, slides and other because they came there for those instruments to enjoy it.

Muhammad Ismail, an advocate by profession, said that the idea of making the park on the top of the hill was good one because from there people can have a beautiful view of Dir city. He however, complained that there had not been made proper arrangements for families in the park. He said that there wasn’t existence a proper security for families and tourists while solar lights system is not functioning.

Said Badshah, student of 2nd year in GDC in Dir, resident of Barikot, Kohistan valley, said that he had come with his friends to see the park. He heard from his friends about an eye catching view of Dir city from there. However, he added, he had seen with his eyes and found more beautiful than he had heard. “Tourists are facing difficulties shortage of food items, drinking water, even toilet and others”, he said.

He said hotels and other shops should be established to facilitate the tourists and attract more tourists to come to the park.

Some children were playing different games including badminton, hide and seek, cricket and a famous traditional local game ‘Sakhai’ in the park. Some of them were enjoying themselves with broken parts of swings. They said that they came to the park almost every Sunday and on holidays to spent some pleasant time there. They, however, said that they had to bring their lunch from home because there were no arrangement of food and other basic facilities in park.

They said they wish to ride into swings and enjoy however got disappointed owing to broken swings and other instruments which had been installed for entertainment. They said that government should repair broken swings, slides and other instruments in park to provide opportunities of enjoyment.

Tourists and people of Dir Upper demanded of the district and provincial government to provide and improve facilities in the ‘Hill Park’ to make it attractive for tourists especially for families.