CHITRAL/SHANGLA: Roads to various valleys of both Lower and Upper Chitral were opened for light vehicles here on Sunday including Laspur, Upper Yarkhoon, Torkhow, Arandu and Kalash valleys while Golen, Madak Lasht, Terich and Garam Chashma roads are yet to be opened.

Heavy vehicular traffic in the approach road of Lowari tunnel, connecting Chitral with the rest of the country, has been restored on Sunday by clearing snow from the roads.

The deputy commissioner Lower Chitral, Muhammad Hashim Azim,told the local media that the district administration is utilising all available resources to facilitate the public and that the rescue and restoration process will be maintained at all costs.

He said that following the recent heavy snowfall, machinery from the National Highway Authority (NHA) was engaged in snow clearance operations on the Lowari approach road and different arteries to ensure traffic flow on key highways.

He said that the link roads of Beori, Jinjiret, Orghoch, Ayun, Broze Gole, Prayeet and Arsoon were restored for traffic completely while a significant portion of the work on Garam Chashma Road has been completed, which is expected to be completed by tomorrow.

He further stated that Chitral was linked to the national grid and power supply to most of the villages had been restored.

Meanwhile, life in Shangla district remained at a standstill for the fourth consecutive day as most key and link roads have been blocked for traffic and power supply has been disrupted across the district.

Shangla district’s upper parts had received up to four feet of snow in the recent spell, which is said to be the heaviest snowfall after 13 years.

Local residents say that including Bisham-Swat and Alpuri-Puran roads, most major and link roads have been closed for all types of traffic for the fourth day since the snow hit the district.

Dayan Ghafar, a local leader of Jamaat-i-Islami, told Dawn that power supply poles and transformers had collapsed at more than 20 places in the Puran tehsil alone.

He said that the Pesco limited team had already started restoration work, but it would take more than 10 days in case there is no prolonged snowfall in coming days.

Mazhar Ali, a resident of Lilownai, told Dawn that their link road had been closed for all kinds of traffic, confining them to their homes.

Meanwhile, the Chakesar tehsil administration in a statement said that four roads had been cleared for traffic on Sunday.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2026