MANSEHRA: The Kaghan Development Authority cleared snow from the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road on Tuesday restoring traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

Chairman of the Kaghan Hoteliers Association Hussain Deen told reporters that the MNJ Roadwas cleared up to the high-altitude Babusar Top resort leading to the restoration of traffic between KP and GB after seven months suspension,” chairman of the Kaghan Hoteliers Association Hussain Deen told reporters.

The MNJ Road, which links KP with GB via Kaghan valley, was blocked by heavy snowfall in Nov last year.

The road was cleared up to Naran, the commercial hub of Kaghan valley, last month.

Mr Deen said the snow was normally removed from the road in May but that didn’t happen in the current year due to the pandemic-induced restrictions.

Tourist Shahid Iqbal, who was on the way to Gilgit-Baltistan along with family, said the use of MNJ Road instead of Karakoram Highway to reach GB saved three to four hours.

“The tourists first come to Kaghan valley and then move to Hunza and other GB areas through the MNJ Road,” he said.

PROTEST: The residents took out a rally in Goschain area of Balakot tehsil on Tuesday demanding the early start of classes for ninth and 10th grades in the area’s only girls high school.

The protesters belonged to dozens of villages and localities.

Former tehsil councillor Sardar Mohammad Sadiq told protesters that the area had a high school for girls but unfortunately, it didn’t offer education beyond eighth grade forcing hundreds of girls to quit education.

Another resident and former deputy nazim Pervez Akhtar said the people met the local lawmakers and education department officials on the issue, but to no avail.

The protesters demanded the early start of classes for ninth and 10th grades.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2021