Parachuting into Pakistan (and receiving a soft landing)

Three British skydivers claim to have become the first non-military parachutists to do their thing in Pakistan. Brothers Andrew and Michael Lovemore and Peter Huskins recently leapt from their plane over the Swat Valley as part of the Spirit of Swat festival.

“It was very, very good and we were looked after very well,” Andrew Lovemore told me. “The reception we got was amazing. The people were very friendly.”

The Lovemores are leading figures within the British parachuting world and had received a number of invitations from the Pakistani authorities over the years. But their plans had been held back by rules of the country’s Civil Aviation Authority that does not normally permit anything to be released from a civilian plane.

As it was, with some persistence they were able to organise an exemption certificate for the festival and the three men, guests of Major (retd) Hamid Raza, were able to jump. Apparently they may have bagged another record by flying the largest ever flag – naturally the Pakistani Flag of the Crescent and Star – to be displayed in this way. It measured 7,230 sq ft.

The festival, organised jointly by the provincial authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the UNDP, with the assistance of the army, is designed to try and lure tourists back to Swat, which fell into Taliban hands in 2009, before being recaptured by the military.

The group are hoping that having made the first civilian jump and shown a way of dealing with the regulations, others will be encouraged to follow.

In a statement, Michael Lovemore said: “It was an honour to be invited to take part in this festival and to pay tribute to the people of the Swat Valley and their commitment to peace. The local community are very optimistic about the future and we felt safe and warmly welcomed to this beautiful area”.

Equally optimistic, Major Hamid said, “The festival aims to provide the younger generation of Swat with multiple opportunities. We want to involve them in healthy and positive activities to regain peace in the region.”

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