PESHAWAR: Thick smog engulfed parts of central Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the capital city on Saturday leading to diversion of at least three flights from the Bacha Khan International Airport to Islamabad due to low visibility.

A Civil Aviation Authority official told Dawn here that visibility on the Peshawar airport was so low that the flight of Air Arabia from Rasul Khima, Fly Jinnah’s from Karachi and Air Blue’s from Jeddah were diverted from the Peshawar airport to Islamabad’s.

He said passengers of those flights were later brought to the provincial capital by bus.

An official of the meteorological department disclosed that the provincial capital recorded 500 meters visibility in the evening and the weather was unlikely to change today (Sunday). He said the low visibility caused by smog and mist was reported in Charsadda, Mardan and other areas of central KP as well.

Official says low visibility likely to persist

Also in the day, the meteorological department announced that rain and snow were likely to fall in Chitral, Lower and Upper Dir, Malakand, Buner, Swat, Shangla, Kohistan, Battagram, Torghar, Mansehra and Abbottabad districts today (Sunday).

It also forecast light and moderate rainfall and light snowfall in Haripur, Mardan, Swabi, Nowshera, Peshawar, Charsadda, Bajaur, Mohmand, Khyber, Orakzai, Hangu, Kurram, Karak, Kohat, Lakki Marwat, Bannu, Tank, Dera Ismail Khan, North and South Waziristan districts.

The meteorological department saidthere was a high likelihood of moderate-dense fog being reported in Swabi, Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda, Peshawar and Dera Ismail Khan districts, and Peshawar-Swabi Motorway during night hours.

It added that people should drive on motorways and national highways carefully to prevent accidents.

Meanwhile, the Chitral police said snow fell on the roads leading to Lowari Tunnel on Saturday.

In a statement, the police said though roads were open to traffic, people should avoid driving during early and late hours to “avoid slippery conditions on access roads to the tunnel.”

They also called for the use of snow chains by drivers.

Meanwhile, a motorway police official said the motorway remained open on Saturday and no traffic disruption was reported due to foggy conditions.

Published in Dawn, january 8th, 2023