SHANGLA: Foreign tourists visiting the scenic places of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan have expressed concern about what they called ‘illegitimate’ fines being imposed by the police on the drivers of buses taking them on the motorways and the Karakoram Highway.

After a prolonged closure of Babusar Top, the region has witnessed a surge in tourist arrivals following the Eidul Fitr festival. Thousands of visitors are now flocking to the northern areas of KP and GB via the scenic Karakoram Highway from Islamabad.

Over 100 foreign tourists from Thailand travelling to GB met this correspondent in Bisham Bazaar and complained about the police’s misbehaviour and ‘illegitimate’ fines to the drivers of the buses taking them.

Chaisit Silamai, a tourist from Thailand, said that it had been his first trip to Pakistan along with his other friends.

Tour guide says there is an upsurge in police fines on KKH

“We are heading towards Hunza valley and might visit other tourist places in GB, enjoying the region’s serenity and hospitality of the local people,” Mr Silamai said.

He said their trip was going amazing but the highway police stopped their vehicles at several places between Islamabad airport and Bisham.

The tourist said the bus drivers were given almost six challans on Sunday and they feared more when they entered the Kohistan region.

Replying to a question, he said if the drivers produced their required documents to police and were not violating the traffic rules, then why they were being harassed and slapped with fines.

Nupookpad, another tourist group member from Thailand, said the police just wasted their (tourists’ time). He demanded of the police high-ups and government authorities to ensure safe and smooth travel on the motorways and KKH between Islamabad and GB.

Rukwanich Lapaslada, a woman tourist from Thailand, said they really enjoyed natural beauty of Pakistan’s northern areas. However, she said the tourists should be facilitated when they visited these places.

She said there was peaceful environment and people were kind and hospitable in Pakistan. She added that they enjoyed talking to children in Bisham Bazaar and took pictures with them. “People offered us coffee, tea and lunch, which reflects the significance of the local customs and hospitality.”

The woman tourist, however, appealed to the government to make sure police did not harass the travellers and transporters.

Hussain Balti, a tour guide, who takes visitors to the northern areas of Pakistan, said he had witnessed an abrupt surge in police fines in the jurisdictions of Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

While showing copies of 18 challans handed to the drivers of the three coasters carrying tourists, Mr Balti said it was an injustice with them.

“Our police not only harassed the drivers and guides but also the foreign tourists,” he regretted.

The tour guide said he always complained to the local authorities about the issue, but to no avail. “The police are earning a bad name for Pakistan.”

When contacted, Shangla traffic in-charge Jehan Afsar, told Dawn that he had asked the traffic wardens to refrain from stopping the tourists’ vehicles, and only fine bikers who violated the rules and were not wearing helmets.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2025