PESHAWAR: The Tourism Corporation Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in collaboration with the Pakistan Railways and Sehrai Travels and Tours initiated train tours from Peshawar to Attock Khurd on Saturday.

Previously these tours were arranged for a select group of people who were invited to travel on the train.

But this time, general public purchased passes and availed of this facility, said additional secretary tourism, culture and youth affairs department Naeem Akhtar, while talking to media persons at the Cantt Railway Station here.

He along with TCKP general manager events Mohammad Ali Syed welcomed the guests on the platform. The army band played music on the occasion. A large number of students, children, government servants accompanying their families, doctors, media persons and women club’s members participated in this excursion.

The historical tourist resort complex of Attock Khurd is situated on the eastern bank of Indus River near the old iron girder bridge built in 1883, which links Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab.

The old British railway station built around 1880 with its magnificent stone masonry and beautiful Victorian architecture is set in a hilly backdrop of an area steeped in the romance of history.

The British established the North Western Railway Attock Khurd Resort as a popular fishing spot and hunting ground for black partridge and wild fox. On the western bank is a tall First World War memorial. It was built in the memory of the men of the 40th Pathan Regiment which took part in the World War-I.

Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great had built the Attock Fort in 1518 AD. It stands majestically by the side of the Indus and runs two miles in circumference. Remains of the old British Victorian cemetery, Begum ki Sehrai, Bahram ki Baradari, tomb of the unknown dancer and many Hindu, Jain and Sikh temples of the bygone era are located in the vicinity.

The guests enjoyed a rare glimpse of a section of the Rawalpindi-Landi Kotal route. The guests were enthralled by the scenic sites, lush green fields and orchards of peaches and plums, undulating hillocks and the rugged Manglot mountain range. The highlight of the journey was the seven tunnels, welcomed with hooting and loud clapping by the participants.

Another aspect of this journey was that the participants returned to Peshawar via train also. Previously, the train ride was one way and journey to Peshawar was via road.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2015

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