Activists and archaeologists have warned that quarrying, rock blasting and stone crushing close to the Swat Motorway tunnel could harm an ancient road and the gas supply to Malakand Division. The archaeology department had raised the matter with the Malakand deputy commissioner last August. The Malakand commissioner, Iqbal Hussain, has responded by promising action.
An ancient road and its heritage
The route that crosses the Shahkot Pass is believed to be roughly 2,000 years old, with origins in the Buddhist period. Offshoots of it are still visible near Palai, close to the highway. Because the track was so wide and well built, it became known as the Elephant Road, or Hathi-lar, and local historian Akbar Khan has described it as an important heritage site.
The pass also has a place in Yusufzai history. Malik Ahmad Khan led the Yusufzai Pashtuns into Swat through it at the start of the 16th century, and the people of Thana and Aladand held it during the Raniai conflicts of the mid-1800s.
Recent research has added to the area's importance. Researchers working on the Khyber Path initiative, led by an Italian archaeological mission with a university partner in Venice and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa archaeology directorate, found that the Alamkot-Hathidara monument forms part of a larger fortified city that had not been identified before. The findings were made public in November 2025.
Professor Luca Maria Olivieri, the project director, said the paved Hathi-lar track was a key section of the Uttarapatha, a major ancient highway across the northern subcontinent. The route connected the Gandhara region in the east to Swat, Bajaur, Kunar and Nangarhar, and researchers believe this is the only surviving stretch of it in the region.
Excavators also uncovered the base of a large Brahmanic temple from the late Shahi period, along with dozens of carved stone blocks, some up to 250kg in weight. Once recorded, the blocks were transferred to Swat Museum, where they are to be displayed later. Dr Abdul Samad, director general of archaeology and museums, called the complex a major remnant of the Hindu Shahi era. He said it lies on a pass that once linked Uddiyana with Gandhara.
The fortified settlement, called Jayapalanagara, had defensive walls with bastions and gates, a tank with steps, a well and natural springs. Historical sources add that the city had a mosque believed to be the earliest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. It was ordered by the Emir of Tus during the Ghaznavid era, roughly two decades before the Udegram mosque in Swat. Digging is expected to continue through 2026 and 2027, with researchers hoping to locate the mosque named in a bilingual Persian-Sanskrit inscription from the early 11th century.
Blasting, tourism and official response
Campaigners point to the daily blasts as the most serious hazard, because the quarries sit very close to the longest tunnel on the Swat Motorway. Nasir Khan warned that the tunnels could develop cracks if the work goes on. He also described Hathidara as one of the top archaeological locations in Malakand district, saying years of neglect and illegal digging had cost the site many artefacts.
Local people also fear that vibrations could harm the SNGPL gas pipeline, which supplies the whole of Malakand Division. If the line were ruptured, gas supply across the division would be cut off.
The area is also being promoted for heritage tourism by authorities and international partners. The Khyber Path project plans a 125km tourism trail along the motorway, with stops at Alamkot, Hathi-lar, Butkara, Barikot and Gumbat Balo Khale, reaching Palai in one direction and Asota and Taxila in the other. Organisers expect the trail to bring jobs.
Iqbal Hussain, the Malakand commissioner, said he would act at once against dangerous mining and blasting. He said he had passed instructions to the district's deputy commissioner so that the threat could be addressed. Activists and archaeologists have called on the government to halt quarrying and crushing without delay, to safeguard the historic site as well as the tunnel and gas line nearby.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Last August: the archaeology department raised the matter with the Malakand deputy commissioner.
- November 2025: findings from the Khyber Path project on the Alamkot-Hathidara monument were made public.
- 2026 and 2027: excavations at the site are expected to continue.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Swat Motorway tunnel ke qareeb pathar todne aur dhamakon ka kaam jari hai, aur activists aur archaeologists ne ise rokne ka mutalba kiya hai. Un ka kehna hai ke is se tunnel mein darrein pad sakti hain aur Malakand Division ki gas pipeline ko nuqsan ho sakta hai. Malakand commissioner Iqbal Hussain ne kaha hai ke wo is khatre par action lenge. Aam logon ke liye matlab yeh hai ke gas supply aur safar par asar ho sakta hai, is liye faisle par nazar rakhein.
