Snow shuts Babusar Pass, reopening unlikely before summer
Mansehra police stopped traffic beyond Bassal after the second heavy snowfall in days made the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road slippery, with more than four feet of snow on the pass.
Babusar Pass, the high mountain route between Kaghan Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Diamer district in Gilgit-Baltistan, is closed to traffic after heavy snowfall, and The Express Tribune reported it is unlikely to reopen before the next summer tourist season.
More than four feet of snow has covered the road, according to the Express Tribune, which placed Babusar Top at about 13,700 feet (4,173 metres) above sea level. Clearing the route and restoring traffic now depend on the weather, the paper reported.
Dawn reported that traffic between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan via Babusar Top was suspended on Wednesday after Kaghan Valley received heavy snow for the second time in a few days. Snow began falling on Tuesday night in high-altitude areas including Saiful Muluk Lake, Lulusar Lake, Battakundi, Bassal and Babusar Top, it reported.
District Police Officer Mansehra Mohammad Waqas Khan told reporters that traffic beyond Bassal had been restricted. "Fresh snowfall has made Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad (MNJ) Road slippery and dangerous," Dawn quoted him as saying. The restriction covers the upper parts of Kaghan Valley and neighbouring Diamer district.
No date for reopening the road has been announced.
Babusar Top joins the Kaghan and Naran valleys with Diamer. The Express Tribune reported that for some destinations the route is quicker than the longer Karakoram Highway, which makes it a preferred option for many tourists and travellers in the summer months. It is also one of the highest points in the Kaghan Valley and draws domestic and foreign visitors for its snow-covered mountains and open plains, the paper reported.
The Express Tribune reported the closure is a setback for tourists, travellers and businesses that depend on seasonal tourism in the area.
According to the Express Tribune, Babusar Road stays shut for around six months every year because of severe cold, snowfall and difficult weather, and reopens in summer once the snow melts and the road is made passable.
How the reports differ
Dawn reported the suspension as a police decision on Wednesday, led by District Police Officer Mansehra Mohammad Waqas Khan's statement that traffic beyond Bassal had been restricted because the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad road was slippery. The Express Tribune reported the closure as likely to last until the next summer season and put more than four feet of snow on the pass, details Dawn did not carry. Dawn alone named the officer and the specific points where snow began falling on Tuesday night, including Saiful Muluk and Lulusar lakes.
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