Aamna Aamna 
The snowy season has officially begun in Murree, with an emergency declared in the district and on its main roads. The snowfall period, from December 2 to March 15, 2025, has prompted the authorities to activate 19 emergency checkpoints in Murree.
Sources say that an officer from each of the 22 institutions will be stationed at these posts 24 hours a day, in three shifts. To help welcome tourists, the Commissioner of Rawalpindi has sent an additional contingent of 100 civil defence personnel to Murree, at the request of the Deputy Commissioner of Murree, Zaheer Shirazi. A first group of 16 has already been deployed.
Stringent surveillance and traffic management systems are in place this season to regulate the entry of vehicles. Control posts have been set up at the main entry points, including the Islamabad Toll Plaza and the GT Road Toll Plaza, to ensure that no vehicle exceeds the authorised limit. More teams from the NHA, traffic police, forest department and Punjab Disaster Management Authority are also on duty.
To cope with icy roads, large quantities of salt have been distributed to the Murree Municipal Corporation and the NHA.
The District Civil Defence Officer, Talib Hussain, said that in order to improve traffic management, an additional 50 members of the traffic police had been deployed.
To improve the tourist experience, hotel, motel and guesthouse rates have been classified and fixed. Hotels charging excessive rates will be sealed off.
The deputy commissioner stressed the administration’s commitment to ensuring the safety and comfort of visitors throughout the snowy season.
The tourist season is due to begin on 24 December, coinciding with the start of the winter holidays. Rawalpindi Commissioner Aamir Khattak has demanded that all safety measures be taken in Murree by December 10, ahead of the rainy and snowy season. He also asked for a full report on these preparations.
Once Murree has reached capacity, additional vehicles will be diverted from the GT Road and motorway toll plazas. Uniformed ground staff will be equipped with mackintoshes, umbrellas, walking sticks, torches and other essential items. Installation centres will also be set up at key locations such as GPO Chowk, Mall Road, Darya Gali, Jhika Gali, Kashmir Point, Lower Topa and Sunny Bank. Representatives of all the institutions concerned will work three eight-hour shifts in each centre to ensure a permanent service.
An additional 50 staff will be deployed from Rawalpindi to Murree to manage traffic. The authorities will coordinate with the National Highway Authority.
