QUETTA / GILGIT: A partial relief came for the people of weather-hit Balochistan where some of the blocked highways were repoened but there was little respite in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan where all commercial activities came to a halt on Monday.

Business and agricultural activities were suspended in some of the coldest areas around Diamer and Astore as the cold snap continued in GB.

The residents of these districts have begun migrating down south for the season as supply routes have been choked with unrelenting snow and frost and many areas are without electricity.

According to the Met Office, Skardu and Astore were the coldest places in GB with the temperature plummeting to minus 12 degrees Celsius on Monday. It forecast more rain and snowfall over the hills on Tuesday.

Umer Faroq Farooqi, a resident of Diamer, said several link roads in upper areas of Diamer district were blocked because of snow, suspending supply of basic necessities in these areas.

“While the harsh weather and continued snowfall increase the hardship of the locals, the weather attracts many foreign and local tourists to the areas,” he said.

In Balochistan, different sections of the National Highway, blocked for traffic for the past two days due to heavy snowfall in central and southern regions of the province, were reopened on Monday.

Personnel of the army and Frontier Corps, along with the staff of Frontier Works Organisation, rushed to various points of mountainous areas and removed snow with the help of heavy machinery.

However, there were reports that a large number of vehicles were still stuck on roads leading to Ziarat and Kan Mehtarzai areas.

Published in Dawn January 17th, 2017