ISLAMABAD: Local Tourists from around Pakistan have thronged to Murre to see the Snowfall in in Murree and surrounding hills on Tuesday.
Despite the fact there were no vacations, holiday or weekend, a large number of people, especially from the urban areas of Punjab and Karachi, traveled to Murree to enjoy the snowfall.
The hotels and resorts including Bhurban, New Murree, Kashmir Point, Pindi Point, Mall Road and Ayubia were fully booked.
Galyaat, Hazara and Bhurbhan received more snow as compared to Murree city. All restaurants were packed with tourists and the demand of woollies also went up, as mercury has gone below the freezing point. A great crowd was observed at hotels and place for eatables, where people were enjoying hot food and hot drinks to keep themselves warm. Businessmen and shopkeepers of the city seem happy to see increased business activity. “I am enjoying the weather here,” said a visitor Raza Baloch. “We are spending good family time and the children are especially happy,” adding “Murree has enjoyable entertainment facilities he lauded the civic body for construction of numerous attractive picnic spots.”
Jamshed Ali, a visitor from Lahore, while talking to APP, said Murree has all the facilities for enjoyment. “I am here today with my family and enjoying this awesome weather,” he added. The local administration should develop these areas further with additional facilities to attract visitors and promote tourism, he said.
Mushtaq Ahmed, another tourist from Karachi complained that eatables, woollies and other accessories available there to beat the cold weather were too much expensive. The shopkeepers are exploiting the situation and fleecing the customers, he said.
Meanwhile, traffic police has issued a travel advisory for tourists planning to visit Murree while the hill station is having snowfall. Talking to APP, a senior traffic official urged APP that motorists should avoid using Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-run and old model vehicles to ensure safe journey to the mountainous resort where people from across the country throng to see scenic beauty of Malka-e-Kohsar. He said the traffic police have stopped movement of heavy vehicles on the roads leading to Murree to avoid any untoward incident as the road becomes slippery after and during snowfall.
He further stressed motorists to use tyre chains as it ensures better road grip, minimising the risk of slipping.
The commuters were perplexed that as various roads had proper drainage system, the rainwater was flowing on the roads, not only damaging them but also creating problems for the commuters. They demanded that the civic bodies should rectify the situation.
