Murree sees large weekend crowds

Islamabad: The ‘Malika-i-Kohsar’ (Queen of Mountains) as Murree is popularly known saw a large influx of visitors on Sunday.
Tourists, mostly residents of Islamabad, Rawalpindi and adjoining areas, went to Murree to enjoy the pleasant weather caused by the recent rains and light snowfall. Among major attractions for them were Pindi Point, Kashmir Point, the Mall and Ayubia.
Murree’s adjoining areas like Galyaat, Bhurban, Ayubia and Nathiagali also attracted large crowds of visitors, mostly from plain areas. Many youths used motorcycles to reach Murree, which is an hour’s drive from the capital city.
The local hotels reported a surge in bookings. However, tourists complained the hotels, especially those on the Mall, overcharged them with the district administration acting indifferently to their misery.
They also regretted severe traffic jams and said the long queues of vehicles on the Mall, at GPO Chowk and on Kuldanna Road agonised them. The tourists blamed their misery on the unavailability of parking spaces and wrong parking of some vehicles.