Heavy snowfall in Kaghan Valley on Monday prompted police to suspend traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan as conditions on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road became hazardous. Temperatures fell sharply, while slippery roads complicated journeys for motorists.
Road cleared to Naran, onward travel restricted
A police official said road crews had made the route passable up to Naran, Kaghan Valley’s commercial centre. Tourists were temporarily prevented from continuing beyond Naran towards Babusar Top, with access dependent on an improvement in the weather.
Snow began falling early on Monday and returned at intervals during the day. Among the places affected were:
- Babusar Top
- Saiful Muluk Lake
- Battakundi
- Basal
- Lolosar Lake
- Naran
Visitors keep arriving despite slippery roads
Kaghan Valley Hotel Association chairman Hussain Deen said visitors were still coming to experience the snow, with traffic permitted as far as Naran. He urged drivers on the Balakot–Naran route to take care on slippery stretches and refrain from reckless driving.
Abdul Rasheed Tanoli, the wildlife sub-divisional officer in Kaghan Valley, said the snowfall had lowered temperatures throughout the region. He said the road from Naran to Saiful Muluk Lake remained accessible to four-wheel-drive vehicles, while tourists continued arriving to take in the scenery.
