Tourists throng Shogran on Eid

MANSEHRA: Visitors from various parts of the country thronged the tourist resort of Shogran to celebrate the first three days of Eidul Fitr.

Tourists, including women and children, visited Shogran, Siri, and Paya, situated at the base of Koh-e-Makra and experienced the unique landscapes and soothing environment.

“I have visited this place many times earlier, but the picturesque landscape, high mountains, and pollution-free environment attract me again and again,” Jabran Ali, a visitor from Lahore, told reporters.

He added that while the rest of the country was experiencing hot weather, Shogran remained chilly in the mornings, with nearby mountains still covered beneath snow.

Meanwhile, police restricted visitors from travelling beyond Kaghan town as the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) road, which was closed to all traffic in November last year after the season’s first snowfall, has yet to be cleared.

Traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, which was suspended with the onset of snowfall in Kaghan Valley, also remained blocked.

Despite the provincial government’s announcement to reopen the MNJ road for Eid to revive tourism in Kaghan Valley, the National Highway Authority has not yet begun removing glaciers and snow from the route.

To ensure visitors’ safety, police personnel have been deployed in Shogran and along the MNJ road from Balakot to the Kaghan town.

Traffic wardens effectively managed the traffic flow during the first three days of Eid.

“The police personnel deployed along the MNJ road and in Shogran also guided visitors on protocols set for travellers in the mountainous areas in the district,” a press release issued by the Police Department said.