MANSEHRA: After remaining cut off from the rest of the country since mid-November last year due to heavy snowfall, the Kaghan Valley is expected to reopen to visitors up to Naran in the next couple of days.

“The cutting of the Gorian glacier on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road is in its final phase, and traffic which was suspended following heavy snowfall in November 2024 is likely to be restored within the next two days,” president of the Hoteliers Association of Kaghan Valley Seth Matiullah told reporters on Wednesday.

The National Highway Authority (NHA), which began clearing the MNJ Road earlier this week, has so far managed to remove the massive Sarmai and Lunda Sarmai glaciers.

Heavy machinery has also cleared snow at various points along the MNJ Road near the Naran tourist resort.

“The cutting of the Gorian glacier ahead of Naran is near completion, and we expect vehicular traffic could be restored by Saturday,” Mr Matiullah said.

He said that NHA teams would continue clearing the giant glaciers beyond Naran up to Babusar Top, which may take an additional three to four weeks to fully reopen the route.

“Traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, which has remained suspended since the first snowfall in mid-November last year, could be restored within the next three to four weeks,” he said.

Published in Dawn, April 17th, 2025