MANSEHRA: Snow fell in upper parts of Hazara division for the first time in the current season early on Saturday blocking the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road.

The intermittent snowfall caused a cold wave to sweep the region.

The traffic between Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa via the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhand Road was also suspended.

The National Highway Authority said heavy snow had blocked the road from Babusar Top to Jalkhand area.

Commuter Saddam Shah said he was on the way to Mansehra from Dasu Kohistan via the MNJ Road but the snowfall made him return from Babusar Top like hundreds of others traveling in vehicles.

He said heavy snowfall had caused intense cold in upper parts of Hazara division.

The commuter said though the MNJ Road had been blocked by snowfall, the Karakoram Highway was open to traffic.

DRUGS SEIZED: The police claimed to have seized over 10kg narcotics during separate raids here on Saturday.

A news release issued by district police officer Zaibullah Khan said around 3kg charas was seized in a house of Dodial, Shinkiari, while Saleem Zaib was held in Darband area after the recovery of two kg of charas.

It also said Baffa police seized over 1kg charas before arresting Hussain Shah.

The release said separate FIRs were registered against drug peddlers.

GAMES TORCH: The 33rd National Games torch relay entered Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from Gilgit-Baltistan on Saturday on the way to final destination on Torkham border.

The games will begin in Peshawar on Nov 9.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Olympic Association president Aqil Shah, MPA Ahmad Hussain Shah andformer Olympian Arshad Hussain received the torch in Naran, the commercial centre of Kaghan valley.

Schoolgirls and boys welcomed the torch relay journey’s participants by offering bouquets.

The journey had begun at Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum in Karachi on Oct 6 and will end on the Pak-Afghan border in Torkham.

Aqil Shah thanked sports minister Atif Khan for sponsoring national games in Peshawar after nine years and earmarking Rs330 million for it.

The torch relay convoy later left for Mansehra, Abbottabad and other destinations.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2019