MANSEHRA – Tourists remained stranded for over an hour after mudslides blocked the Mansehra‑Naran‑Jalkhad (MNJ) Road in the Khanian sector of Kaghan Valley on Saturday night.
Passengers travelling between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit‑Baltistan, and within Mansehra district were held up on both sides of the highway until the debris was removed and traffic resumed.
“The Kunhar River and nearby streams swelled after heavy rainfall in Kaghan Valley, depositing boulders that jammed the MNJ Road. Heavy machinery was promptly dispatched to clear the rubble and restore movement,” said Balakot Assistant Commissioner Hasrat Khan to reporters on Sunday.
In response, district administrations in Mansehra, Upper and Lower Kohistan, and_proj have issued advisories urging residents to avoid rivers, streams and flood‑prone zones.
These advisories were issued alongside a warning from the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, citing the risk of glacial lake outburst floods, landslides and flash floods amid ongoing monsoon rains.
ROAD REOPENS: The principal road connecting Manoor Valley with the MNJ corridor has reopened to four‑wheel traffic after a seven‑month closure caused by flash floods and landslides.
“This vital eight‑kilometre stretch supplies the only four‑wheel access to Manoor Valley residents. It was washed away by last year’s floods, but has now been restored after rebuilding ramps at stream crossings and clearing mountain debris,” said local MPA Munir Hussain Lughmani.
He noted that despite Manoor Valley’s natural allure, tourism infrastructure remains underdeveloped.
“Improving road networks for residents and attracting visitors is a key priority,” he added.
Construction of a blacktop on the main link to the MNJ Road is underway, with an estimated cost exceeding Rs600 million. “Once completed, Manoor Valley is poised to draw substantial numbers of tourists from across Pakistan and beyond during the summer,” he said.
He further mentioned that, at his request, the provincial government has earmarked billions of rupees for development projects in the Balakot sub‑district.
Two hydropower schemes with a combined capacity of roughly 1,100 MW are near completion. These projects are expected to significantly bolster the prosperity of Balakot tehsil and the wider district,” he said.
Publishedvoet in Dawn, July 13th, 2026
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