Tag: Naran

  • Late winters turn northern areas into snowland

    Late winters turn northern areas into snowland

    As late winter tightens its grip on the northern parts of the country, Naran, Kaghan, Shogran, and Murree, are transforming into winter wonderlands. The recent snowfall has not only captivated tourists but also prompted local authorities to ensure the safety and comfort of visitors.

    In Naran, Kaghan, and Shogran, heavy snowfall has persisted for the third consecutive day, with Babusar Top expected to remain under its winter coat until the coming Sunday, according to Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) official Mozam Ali.

    Notable snowfall accumulations include 1.5 feet in Shogran, 2.5 feet in Naran, 3.5 feet in Babusar, and seven inches in Kaghan.

    The Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) road has been opened up to Rajwal, allowing tourists to explore beyond this point. To assist both tourists and locals, the KDA has established a tourist facilitation center at Balakot.

    The typical winter pattern in these areas involves initial rains in the last 10 to 15 days of November, followed by snowfall in December.

    However, climate change has disrupted the pattern, resulting in a lack of rain and snow. This deviation has significantly decreased tourist activity in the region, causing concern among those involved in the sector.

    Meanwhile, in the popular hill station of Murree, the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) has proactively initiated snow clearing and garbage removal operations following the season’s first snowfall.

    The efforts of the RWMC have allowed motorists to move easily in and around Murree, ensuring normal traffic flow.

    RWMC CEO Rana Sajid Safdar’s instructions to deploy additional workers during the snow season have proven effective in maintaining cleanliness despite the influx of visitors.

    The Murree district administration, under the directives of Deputy Commissioner Zaheer Abbas Sherazi, has finalized arrangements for the snowfall season.
    Tourists are being provided with weather updates and travel advisories at all entry points, with a special control room set up to facilitate inquiries and assistance.

    The district administration advises tourists to take necessary precautions, follow traffic rules, and stay informed about weather conditions before traveling to Murree.

    Strict actions are being taken against parking rules violators to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. In case of difficulties, tourists can seek assistance from dedicated tourist facilitation centers and the 24/7 operational control room.

  • Naran: One tourist allegedly murdered, others looted in robbery incident

    Naran: One tourist allegedly murdered, others looted in robbery incident

    A 74-year-old man was murdered in an alleged incident of robbery near Naran. The incident took place on July 24. A group of four people were staying in a camp near Saral Pass, which is a few kilometres away from Noori Top.

    A Facebook user named Faizan Sami posted about the incident in a group, The Karakoram Club.

    “I Faizan Sami, Asfandyar, Mudassir and uncle ( father in law of Mudassir) left for Ratti Gali from basil trek via saral pass,” the user wrote in a Facebook post.

    “Reached Saral pass about 6.30 pm on Sunday 24th of July 2022. we unpacked and set our camp over there. We had four local porters with horses. After dinner and relaxing we off to bed. We were sleeping in our tent at about 11.20 o clock and heard voices coming out. My uncle sat and asked them who it hearing this they start firing. uncle got shot we all started screaming. And came out they beat us with our hiking sticks. We were made to stand in a row outside,” added Faizan while narrating the horrific incident.

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    “They asked for money and other stuff. we told them it was in the bags two of them went inside the tent while one was guarding us. When they saw the dead body one of them came out and told the other one they all started moving towards the tent. We slowly moved towards the downside and then started running. And hid in stones, after 15 minutes one of our porters come shouting our names. We then showed up and the porter told us that they too were looted. We then went to the tent they took all the bags one bag with money and the drone camera was under my jacket so it was left. They took almost 70,000. We covered the dead body in a tent, packed it well and went outside in search of help. After 3 hours of trekking, we reached a village on Noori’s top side. Anar Gul named person helped us a lot. He sends men along with one porter to bring dead bodies. we stayed there till morning. He sends men after the police and jeep.”

    Talking to The Current, Faizan Sami said they heard noises around 11:15pm. His uncle shouted from the camp and asked, “Who are you?”

    After hearing the noise, the robbers resorted to aerial fire which resulted in the death of the 74-year-old man named Raja Muhammad Azam.

    The robbers made them sit 50 feet away from the camp. They asked them how many people were in the camp, and were told that they were a group of four people. Two of the robbers then went inside the camp to look for the fourth person and money.

    “When they went inside the camp, they panicked after looking at the dead body and they called their fellow robber inside the camp,” Faizan told The Current.

    After all of the robbers went inside, they took the opportunity to run away and they went “300 to 400 feet” away from the place to hide from them.

    When they came back after a while after the robbers had left, they saw the dead body lying there. They left the dead body behind and went to ask for help to bring the dead body to a nearby village.

    The FIR, a copy of which is available with The Current, was filed on July 25 in Naran. The police are still investigating the case.

  • Hotels in Naran, Kaghan and Shogran sealed after fresh cases of COVID-19

    The Mansehra district administration has sealed all hotels in Shogran, Naran and Kaghan after fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported among staff working at different hotels.

    According to Dawn, Mansehra Additional Deputy Commissioner Maqbool Hussain said that the district health department had reported 47 cases of coronavirus at private hotels located in these spots. As a result, authorities decided to close down all hotels in the area to curb the spread of the virus. It has not yet been specified when the hotels will reopen but Hussain said that they would only be allowed to operate till the situation is brought under control.

    Hussain further revealed that 48 hotels, including 22 main businesses and their respective branches, had been sealed at all three tourist spots and the infected patients had been quarantined at the hotels. He added that the local health department and officials were in the process of tracing and testing those who had come into contact with the patients.

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    On the other hand, ARY News reported that only five hotels in Naran and Kaghan have been sealed after some of the hotels’ staff tested positive for COVID-19. The report added that no ban has been placed on tourists wishing to visit the areas as some hotels have been reopened after disinfection.

    Meanwhile, the Kaghan Development Authority (KDA) on Sunday recommended the Mansehra deputy commissioner to impose a ‘smart lockdown’ in Naran.

    “It is proposed that a ‘smart lockdown’ [be imposed] on the hotels/restaurants to avoid the spread of COVID-19,” read the letter addressed to the DC.

    After the government reopened businesses and allowed tourism in the areas, there has been a surge in cases of COVID-19 cases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa forcing local authorities to start large-scale random testing of tourists.

    “We have started conducting random testing of both tourists and hotel workers,” Raza Ali Habib, director general of the Galiyat development Authority (GDA) said, adding that 1000 tourists were tested during the last one week out of which only 25 tested positive.

    According to a report by the KP tourism department, approximately 627,000 tourists entered Hazara and Malakand divisions after the government lifted COVID-19 restrictions. The reports further revealed that tourists’ inflow to Abbottabad and Galiyat was high as compared to other areas as more than 356,000 entered the areas in the first 12 days.

    The government has been actively requesting people to take the necessary precautions and follow SOPs strictly to prevent the spread of the disease.