MANSEHRA: Tourists began arriving in Kaghan Valley on Monday as the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road reopened to Naran after being closed for six months due to heavy snowfall.

“The snow, even in lower parts of the valley, makes it more attractive and charming for visitors. That’s why we’re here to experience this unique view,” tourist Mohammad Ali told reporters.

The MNJ Road was closed to all kinds of traffic in mid-November last year after the valley received its first snowfall of the season. The National Highway Authority (NHA) has yet to clear the road up to Babusar Top.

The tourists have begun arriving to enjoy the snow-covered landscape.

Mohammad Ali said he and his family were among the first to enter Naran following the road’s reopening.

“Would you believe the valley is still in the grip of cold when the rest of the country is swept by heat” he said.

The tourist said his family enjoyed a snowball fight to make the trip even more memorable.

According to the NHA officials working on clearing the route beyond Naran, the commercial hub of the valley, the traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan was expected to resume by mid-May.

They said that seven avalanches have already been cut through and snow removed to facilitate the reopening of the road and the revival of tourism in the valley.

Meanwhile, the police department has shifted the Kaghan police station to Naran in response to the influx of visitors.

A statement said that as the road reopens, more police posts would be activated to ensure the safety of tourists.

It added that police posts in Basal, Plundrain, Soach, Lake Road, Battakundi and Jalkhad areas would gradually be made functional in the coming days.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2025