MANSEHRA: Thousands of tourists, including foreigners, left for their destinations via the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road here on Saturday after the Frontier Works Organisation reopened a steel bridge on Manor stream in Mahandri area in Kaghan valley after repairs.

“Traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan was suspended after the destruction of the Manor stream bridge by flash floods earlier this week. However, it has been restored now after the completion of repairs,” resident Shakeel Jani told Dawn over the phone from Mahandri.

Vehicles were stopped from using the bridge at Manor stream after it got slightly dislocated during the recent flooding of the Manor stream.

Long queues of vehicles, mostly carrying tourists, were seen on the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road after the reopening of the bridge in the evening. The bridge’s height was also increased to prevent future damage by floods.

Tourism police escort foreigners to Islamabad

Among tourists were eight Portuguese people who were stranded in Naran. They’re escorted by a team of the Tourism Police Force to Islamabad.

CHAIRLIFT INSTALLATION: Authorities have announced the installation of a chairlift from Naran to Saiful Muluk Lake through a public-private partnership.

“We are set to finalise the feasibility report of this chairlift project, which is meant to promote tourism in Kaghan valley,” director general of the KP Culture and Tourism Authority Tashfeen Haider told reporters here in Naran area on Saturday.

He said a team was visiting Kaghan valley as part of its task to come up with the feasibility report.

“Patients and those afraid of travelling by jeep will also be able to visit Saiful Muluk Lake after the installation of the chairlift,” he said.

The official said that the provincial government wanted to develop more and more tourist points and strengthen recreational resorts in Kaghan valley.

He said that the government was striving to address tourist issues in the province, including Kaghan valley.

The business community of Kaghan valley welcomed the government’s plans to install chairlifts through public-private partnership.

They, however, expressed skepticism about the early completion of the project.

Chairman of the hotel association Hussan Deen told reporters that the Awami National Party’s government, too, had approved the chairlift project but couldn’t execute it.

He said he hoped that the current government would ensure early installation of chairlifts.

NOTICES ISSUED: Thetehsil municipal administration has issued notices to people who illegally built shops and houses in Oghi and adjoining areas, asking them to voluntarily vacate the government land within a week to prevent a crackdown.

The assistant commissioner, tehsil municipal officer, tehsildar and revenue officials visited various patwar circles and served notices on the illegal land occupants.

Meanwhile, owners of many vehicles have complained about a long delay in the issuance of number plates.

They told reporters here that they had registered their vehicles with the excise and taxation department in the last six years but hadn’t got number plates.

The vehicle owners urged the chief minister to ensure early action on their complaint.

Published in Dawn, September 1st, 2024