MANSEHRA: The Karakoram Highway was blocked in Baffa-Pakhal tehsil here for over two hours as upper parts of Hazara division received rain and heavy snow for the third consecutive day on Saturday.

Assistant commissioner of Baffa-Pakhal tehsil Arshad Khan told reporters that heavy snowfall led to the blocking of the KKH in Sharkor Chatterplan area but it was cleared to traffic after two hours.

The Kaghan Development Authority said snow was cleared from the road, which linked the Shogran tourist resort with Kawai area.

KDA inspector Moazzam Khan told reporters that motorists could go to Shogran area in vehicles with chain-covered tyres after the clearing of the snow-covered road. He said tourists were barred from going beyond Kaghan town due to heavy snowfall.

KDA says artery cleared to traffic

Mountaineer Nayyar Shah said cold wave swept across Siren valley due to the continuous snowfall forcing wildlife to shelter in rocks of Punjool and adjoining high-altitude areas.

Meanwhile, the rain also lashed Mansehra, Torghar, Kolai-Palas and Upper and Lower Kohistan districts.

HELD: The police on Saturday arrested a man for uploading his pictures and videos with arms and ammunition on social media despite a ban.

District police officer Sajjad Khan told reporters that Babar Ijaz was taken into custody after an investigation.

He said the crackdown on such a display of arms and ammunition would continue.

The DPO said the police’s cyber cell was actively monitoring such illegal activates, especially during the ongoing campaign for the second phase of local body elections.

DOCUMENTED: The Hazara University’s archeology department has documented around 1,000 Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Mughal and Turk archaeological sites in Hazara division.

Chairman of the archeology department DrShakarullah told an award distribution ceremony on campus here on Saturday that Mansehra and other parts of Hazara division had many prehistoric sites and half of the documented sites were of Buddhist civilisation.

“We [department] have excavated prehistoric sites in Haripur, Taxila and Abbottabad area and are going to dig sites in Battagram, Torghar and Kohistan areas as well,” he said.

Dr Shakirullah said the department was excavating the Feroza fort built by Turk rulers in Gulibagh area.

Saibaan development organisation chief executive officer, Sahibzada Jawad Alfaizi gave away awards to Dr Shakarullah and his team’s members for the initiative.

POLL NOMINATIONS: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Hazara divisional president and MNA Salah Mohammad Khan on Saturday said the party had nominated candidates for local body elections in five districts of the division.

Mr Salah told reporters that the tickets were awarded for election in Mansehra, Battagram, Abbottabad, Kohistan and Torghar ‘on merit’. He claimed that the party would sweep the elections.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2022