ISLAMABAD: All roads leading to Murree/Galiyat were closed for 24 hours, Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed announced on Sunday. The decision has been taken in the aftermath of deaths of nearly two dozen tourists who remained stranded in Murree and Galiyat due to snowstorm.

Only those persons would be allowed to travel to Murree and Galiyat who have their postal addresses, on their computerised national identity cards (CNICs), falling in Murree/Galiyat, the interior minister told the media.

He said the decision on whether or not to reopen the Murree/Galiyat roads (after 24 hours) would be taken after analysing the situation, keeping in view the ground realities.

Separately, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar said, sufficient fuel stock was available at all Pakistan State Oil (PSO) outlets in Murree and its related localities.

Petrol and diesel are available at all PSO pumps in Murree in a good quantity, he said in a statement. The minister said Islamabad Electric Supply Company (IESCO) has sent its extra workforce to Murree to prevent power disruption in the area.

He said all power feeders, which faced disruption due to heavy snowfall in Murree, have been restored. A few local faults are being removed, the minister added. However, contrary to the minister’s claims, reports received from several parts of Murree and Galiyat indicated that power outages were persistent there till the filing of this report on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Army’s media wing Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that all main roads in Murree were cleared for all types of movement. After clearance of main roads, the military engineers are focusing on link roads, the ISPR said.

Relief camps and medical facilities were fully operating and stranded tourists were being moved to Rawalpindi and Islamabad, an official statement said. Pakistan Air Force (PAF) launched operation for evacuation of stranded tourists in Murree and Galiyat, it added.

Earlier, ISPR said, more than 300 snow-affected people, including children, were provided medical care by teams of military doctors and paramedics. Cooked meals were served to over 1,000 stranded people in Jhika Gali, Kashmiri Bazaar, Lower Topa and Kuldana, it added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022