MANSEHRA: The Karakoram Highway, which was closed after landslides at three points in Upper Kohistan district, was reopened to traffic on Wednesday evening.

“The heavy landslides, which brought huge boulders and rocks onto the highway at three points in our district, have been cleared for light traffic, while complete restoration will take another three to four hours,” deputy commissioner of Upper Kohistan Azizullah Jan told reporters.

The landslides had blocked the Karakoram Highway at Shaheed Mor and Lal Banda in Harban Basha tehsil, and at the Barseen Uchar nullah in Dasu tehsil of Upper Kohistan district, following heavy rains on Tuesday evening.

Passengers, truckers and motorists remained stranded at all three points throughout the night until around 6pm the following day.

“We moved machinery immediately after the landslides hit the Karakoram Highway at those points and started clearing heavy boulders and rocks,” Mr Jan said.

He said following the landslides at different points, the movement of coaches, trucks and private vehicles travelling from Gilgit-Baltistan to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was stopped in Chilas. “The traffic towards Gilgit-Baltistan from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other parts of the country was also stopped either in neighbouring Lower Kohistan or at different locations within our district,” he said.

The DC said once the Karakoram Highway was fully restored for heavy traffic, vehicles would be allowed to proceed towards their destinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan and other parts of the country.

Pay raise demanded

Teaching community on Wednesday took to streets demanding an increase in salaries in accordance with the prevailing inflation rate in the country.

“The prices of essential and kitchen items have increased manifold, reducing the purchasing power of the people, and the salaried class is the worst hit,” president of the All Teachers Association Attique Mughal told protesters assembled outside the press club here.

Teachers carrying banners and placards marched on various roads before gathering outside the press club. They warned that if their demands were not met, they would stage street protests across the province.

Meanwhile, the speakers, including lawmakers, officials and people from the hospitality industry at a workshop, stressed that all public sector departments play their due role in achieving sustainable tourism development goals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The provincial government has been giving top priority to exploring more tourism destinations in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and promoting the existing tourism infrastructure and has earmarked Rs15 billion for the purpose,” MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani told a workshop organised by Hazara University here on Wednesday.

He said the infrastructure in Kaghan and Manoor valleys was being developed, while work on major communication projects was also in progress.

MPA Sardar Shahjehan Yusuf said the government formulated a comprehensive strategy for the promotion of tourism in the province.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2026