MANSEHRA: Kaghan Valley received heavy snowfall on Monday, dropping temperatures sharply.

“Traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan was temporarily suspended due to slippery conditions on Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road,” a police official told reporters.

He said the MNJ Road had been cleared for traffic up to Naran, the commercial hub of Kaghan Valley, while tourists were temporarily barred from travelling beyond the town to Babusar Top until the weather improved.

Snowfall began early in the morning at Babusar Top, Saiful Muluk Lake, Battakundi, Basal, Lolosar Lake, Naran and other parts of Kaghan Valley, and continued intermittently throughout the day.

Hussain Deen, chairman of Kaghan Valley Hotel Association, said tourists were visiting the valley to enjoy the snowfall, as traffic was allowed up to Naran.

“Motorists should remain cautious while travelling from Balakot to Naran in slippery conditions and strictly avoid rash driving,” he said.

Abdul Rasheed Tanoli, sub-divisional officer of wildlife in Kaghan Valley, said the snowfall had made the weather chilly.

“The road connecting Naran with Saiful Muluk Lake is open to four-wheel-drive vehicles, and tourists are still arriving to enjoy the picturesque valley,” he said.

He said that the tourism season was still on and would most probably come to an end in December, when the entire valley receives the heaviest snowfall, suspending the entire communication system.

Indigenous communities also migrate to lower parts of Mansehra district during winter months.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2026