Tourists warned against visiting snowbound Kaghan valley

MANSEHRA: The district administration on Saturday warned visitors against venturing into the snowbound Kaghan valley, as all civic and police services have been suspended until April next year.

“The main artery connecting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan has been closed due to snow, and the police department has withdrawn its posts from Naran and beyond,” Deputy Commissioner Khalid Iqbal told reporters.

He explained that the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road, which had been closed to all types of traffic last month after heavy snowfall in Kaghan valley beyond Soach.

“Police deployed at the Kaghan checkpost are ensuring that visitors and motorists do not proceed towards Naran and beyond, as the risk of mishaps triggered by inclement weather is high,” he added.

He said that almost 99 percent of hotels and other commercial establishments in Naran have already closed for the rest of the winter season. “The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road is completely blocked as Indigenous communities from Soach, Battakundi, Barawai and other parts of the valley have migrated to low-lying areas of the district and the rest of the Hazara Division for the winter season,” he said.

“Police contingents deployed in different parts of the valley have been relocated to their winter destinations within the district,” Iqbal said.

He advised visitors planning to travel to the district to opt for tourist destinations like Shogran and Balakot instead of the inaccessible Kaghan valley.