Pakistanis love to take trips to the Northern areas during holidays, no matter the situation. This Eid-ul-Azha, people got too excited, and things got out of control. Thousands of people went to the tourist attractions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and got stuck there due to a petrol shortage. But you know, with crisis comes opportunity, and we Pakistanis are gurus of cashing in on crisis. As the resources got short and demand went high, fuel pumps in Swat, Kalam, and other Northern areas started selling petrol for Rs. 700 per liter.
Police data shows that nearly 210,000 vehicles had entered Murree, and 700,000 vehicles had entered the Kaghan Valley. This caused massive traffic jams and road blockages. Most people had to turn around without even reaching their travel destinations.
Similar situations were reported in Gilgit-Baltistan, where thousands of vehicles were stuck on the road with 2-3 kilometers long lines. Many ran out of petrol and couldn’t get a refuel at the nearby petrol stations for several days.
The police in the many Northern areas took notice of the situation and directed the authorities to cooperate with the tourists and resolve the issues of road blockage and petrol shortage.
Heavy Rains in KPK
These days, the weather is not very travel friendly all over the country, especially KPK. The monsoon rainfall is causing floods in many parts of the province. Thus, everybody is advised to sit home and avoid taking trips to the Northern areas, or you might find yourself amid a rain flood on the road. (We all have seen the videos.)
Did you visit the North this Eid and faced the worst road blockage, traffic jams, and petrol shortage? If not, do you know anybody who did? Tell us about the stories you have heard or seen in the comments.
