“I want to leave this bastard land of the Taliban for any other country, even for a desert”, said a source when he told eTN about the killing of 10 foreign tourists as the worst incident of terrorism against tourists in his country.
“Good people in the tourism industry wanting to make a difference here but have no support, financially and morally. Tourism against terrorism! I wish the largest industry in the world (travel & Tourism) would stand up to this”
It happened in Gilgit’s Fairy Medaows, a beutiful tourist region in Pakistan.
Fairy Meadow is a lush green plateau, at 3300 m, offering a breath taking view of Majestic Nanga Parbat (The Killer Mountain). Many people have called it the “Heaven on Earth”. These lush, green meadows and forests lie at the base of Nanga Parbat at the western edge of the Himaliyan range in Pakistan. Fairy Meadows is a very peaceful and relaxing place to enjoy the mountain atmosphere and hospitality of the local people. The name Fairy Meadows is part of the legend that Fairies have their heaven on this lush green plateau. Hermann Buhl, the Austrian climber who made the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1953, named it Fairy Meadow due to its wonderful scenery.
The victims were tourists from China, Russian, Ukraine and other countries. Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif has strongly condemned the incident and asked the security forces to find the terrorists roaming around in the area at any cost.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister of Pakistan Ch Nisar Ali has suspended the Inspector General of Police and Chief Secretary Gilgit-Baltistan after the incident. Speaking in the National Assembly, he was of the view that the security personnel were not performing their duties as per the requirement.
He said that a red alert has already been issued in federal capital Islamabad and adjoining garrison city Rawalpindi after the Chilas incident.
Firing incident took place at camp site along a mountain stream near Buner Das, Diamer district of Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan region. This is almost same area where 35 bus travellers were shot dead by Taliban last year. This route also goes to Fairy Meadows and when forest starts, this area is called a part of fairy Meadows. Chilas and its adjoining areas are under the control of Taliban since last July but Pakistan government have been denying this situation and no advisory was ever released to stop foreign tourists to use this route that is one of the most beautiful but dangerous nowadays.
According to details, armed men entered a hotel and shot dead 10 foreign tourists in Fairy Meadows, base camp of Nanga Parbat peak. Security was beefed up in the area following the incident as police was investigating the murders.
Taliban are against tourists and tourism stating that meeting with non-Muslims is Haram (forbidden in Islam) and that is the reason they have been attacking tourists all over the world especially Pakistan. You can read a detail report and research about Taliban Tourism policy to click this link.
It may be mentioned that Taliban kidnapped two Czech Republic girls from Chaman area of Balochistan province on April 15, 2013 and there are no whereabouts of these girls but sources in government of Pakistan claim that they have been shifted to Afghanistan and will release after getting ransom from Czech government or families of the girls.
