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MANSEHRA: The local hotel owners and jeep drivers on Wednesday restored traffic from Naran to the Saiful Muluk lake by clearing snow from the Lake Road on a self-help basis.
The road, which leads to the Saiful Muluk lake and adjoining high mountains, was blocked on Oct 16 when the valley received snowfall.
Scores of tourists were also stranded in Naran, the commercial centre of Kaghan valley.
Kaghan Valley Hoteliers Association president Saith Matiullah told Dawn that hoteliers and jeep drivers hired a privately-owned excavator to clear the road.
He said all Naran hotels were open and therefore, tourists should visit the area to enjoy pleasant weather.
Resident Ali Asghar Tanoli told reporters that he was the first man to reach the Saiful Muluk after snow clearance from the Lake Road, which was blocked last week.
He said police allowed tourists to travel between Naran and the Saiful Muluk Lake from 10am to 3pm.
The resident said the National Highway Authority cleared snow from the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road up to Barawai two days ago but the police didn’t allow people, including those traveling between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to use it for own safety.
HIGHWAY ROBBERY: Passengers and drivers of more than a dozen vehicles were robbed of cash, cellphones, wristwatches and other valuables on Jabori Road in Bugermung area here on Tuesday night.
Four men carrying guns stopped vehicles by blocking the road with a tree truck.
They warned drivers and commuters against putting up resistance and asked them to hand over their belongings.
Ghulam Raza told the police that the robbers snatched Rs48,000 cash, CNIC, mobile phone and other valuables from him. Mohammad Munir said he was deprived of Rs18,000 cash, CNIC and cellphone. The police registered an FIR and began search for the robbers
Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2018
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