MANSEHRA: Residents of Torghar took to the streets on Friday, demanding the reopening of roads that have remained blocked since the first snowfall of the season last month in several parts of the district.

“Roads have been closed to all kinds of traffic for the past two weeks due to heavy snowfall, causing acute shortages of food, medicines and other essential items. If the government does not clear the roads, we will continue our protest for an indefinite period,” a protester said, while speaking at a rally held in the Sari Goyani area of Kunder tehsil.

Residents of different villages gathered in the area and criticised the continued closure of the Oghi-Tilli Road.

They raised slogans in support of their demands and against the government, saying they were bearing the brunt of the prolonged road blockade in the remote mountainous parts of the district.

“The main road connecting Sari Goyani with Oghi Tilli Chowk was blocked due to heavy snowfall last month, but it is yet to be cleared, leaving us unable to transport patients, particularly women and children, to hospitals in the neighbouring Mansehra district for treatment,” another protester lamented.

Another rally participant said the issue of road had been taken up with the communication and works department, but to no avail.

“Roads and electricity infrastructure was badly damaged during the snowfall, but rehabilitation and restoration work is nowhere to the seen,” he said.

Kunder assistant commissioner Jamil Hussain Shah met the protesters and assured them that the administration was making all-out efforts to clear roads and restore infrastructure damaged during the last month’s snowfall.

“I will ensure that machinery is deployed to clear the blocked roads at the earliest,” he said. Following the assurance, the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2026