GILGIT: Rain and snowfall continued across Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and parts of Azad Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday disrupting routine life in many areas of the two regions.

Heavy rain and snowfall, which began on Monday, has affected normal life across Gilgit-Baltistan, with residents facing difficulties due to road blockages and disruptions to essential services.

Snow avalanches near Khunjerab Pass blocked the Karakoram Highway (KKH), suspending traffic between Pakistan and China for a brief period.

According to police, the KKH was blocked early Thursday at Tatapani in Diamer district after landslides. The passengers, including foreign tourists, remained stranded on both sides of the border for several hours.

A spokesperson for the GB police said the section of the highway at Tatapani had now been reopened for all types of traffic. Drivers have been advised to exercise caution and follow traffic police instructions while travelling.

Earlier, the highway had remained blocked at multiple locations between Diamer and Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to landslides on Tuesday. The road was reopened on Wednesday after clearance operations.

According to the district administration officials, snow avalanches near Khunjerab Top blocked the highway on Thursday, suspending cross-border traffic through the pass. The officials said efforts were underway to further clear snow debris and the traffic between Pakistan and China would completely be restored on Friday (today).

Rain-triggered landslides also blocked access roads and damaged infrastructure in several other areas, disrupting water supply channels, electricity transmission, internet and mobile services.

In one such incident, a water channel supplying the Marzi Gowand power project was damaged by landslides on Thursday. Police said a snow avalanche was also reported in Naltar Valley near Gilgit.

The fresh spell of rain and snowfall has caused a noticeable drop in temperatures in upper areas. Earlier, the Pakistan Meteorological Department had issued an alert warning of an increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods, avalanches and landslides in GB and upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until March 12.

Experts say the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible in the region. Summers have grown warmer while late-season snowfall in winter has become more frequent in recent years.

Shifting weather patterns, faster glacier melt, glacial lake outburst floods and winter avalanches are posing growing challenges for communities in the mountainous region.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2026