The district authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Naran have issued a travel advisory for Babusar Top, urging tourists, travellers, and transport operators to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel due to persistent snowfall and hazardous road conditions.

The district administration, with a special travel advisory on media platforms, stated that ongoing snowfall across the region is expected to create severe difficulties for travellers. It urged all visitors to verify weather updates before planning any movement towards the mountain pass.

According to the advisory, traffic on the Babusar Top route and adjoining areas has been significantly disrupted by continuous snow accumulation, with certain stretches currently restricted to one-way passage only.

Officials cautioned that travel along the route becomes extremely hazardous after 6pm due to rapidly worsening snowfall intensity and sharply reduced visibility conditions.

They further highlighted that icy surfaces, mechanical brake failures, glacial movements, rockfalls, and potential landslides collectively posed grave threats to both life and property.

The administration appealed to tourists, transport operators, and the general public to avoid all non-essential journeys until further notice and to strictly comply with instructions issued by local authorities and law enforcement agencies.

On Tuesday, police launched a search and strike operation for visitors’ safe travel in the upper parts of Kaghan Valley after traffic between KP and Gilgit-Baltistan resumed following a suspension of over six months.

The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road, closed to traffic in November last year, had been cleared of glaciers and snow, Balakot Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Sadaqat Nisar said.

Earlier in the month, the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) issued a glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) alert for the northern regions, asking disaster management authorities to ensure a round-the-clock vigil.

Residents in glaciated valleys and vulnerable areas were advised to observe safety measures, including avoiding proximity to riverbanks and stream beds during rainfall, monitoring local nullahs for sudden changes in water colour (muddiness) or unusual sounds such as grinding rocks, and securing livestock and essentials on higher and safer ground.