Mansehra: The National Highway Authority (NHA) has launched an operation to clear snow and glaciers from the Mansehra–Naran–Jalkhad (MNJ) Road, paving the way for the reopening of Naran to tourists after nearly six months of seasonal closure.
According to officials, machinery has been deployed along key stretches of the route to remove accumulated snow and cut through glaciers that had blocked access following heavy snowfall in November last year.
The road, which connects Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Gilgit-Baltistan via Kaghan Valley, remains a vital tourist and trade artery. Traffic was suspended at the onset of winter due to severe weather conditions in the region.
Hussain Deen, chairman of the Kaghan Hoteliers Association, said traffic between Naran and other parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is expected to resume within a couple of days, although full restoration of the route may still take additional time.
Officials involved in the clearance operation said while progress is underway, complete reopening of the entire stretch could take another four to five weeks depending on weather conditions and remaining snow accumulation.
Local stakeholders in Naran have already started returning to the valley to prepare for the upcoming tourist season. However, access to popular destinations such as Lake Saiful Muluk and surrounding areas remains restricted due to heavy snow and landslide activity.
Residents noted that this year’s snowfall in upper Kaghan Valley was comparatively lower than previous seasons, which has allowed earlier-than-usual clearance work on sections up to Naran and nearby areas such as Battakundi.
Security arrangements in the valley are also being gradually restored. Police posts in areas including Basal, Plundrain, Soach, Lake Road, Battakundi and Jalkhad are expected to resume operations in phases as road clearance progresses. The police station currently operating in lower Kaghan is also set to be shifted back to Naran to support tourist safety and traffic management.
Authorities say full restoration of the MNJ Road will gradually reopen access between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, marking the beginning of the summer tourism season in Kaghan Valley.
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