Tourists converge on Galiyat Valley

ABBOTTABAD: Unprecedented number of tourists visited Abbottabad particularly the picturesque Galiyat valley during Eid holidays as thousands of vehicles arrived in the district, which led to gridlock on the roads.

The great rush of people caused problems for the local residents due to the alleged apathy of the authorities concerned.Though the traffic was unruly, the groups of youngsters were seen frolicking and enjoying the natural beauty. The tourists had brought stoves to cook food on roadsides.
The young tourists were seen dancing on the roads. They were playing loud music travelling in their cars. No security measures were put in place to check the identity of thousands of people coming to Abbottabad, which housed important military installations. The police only focused on the smooth flow of traffic.
The vehicles were moving at a snail’s pace on the Abbottabad-Murree road. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Galiyat Circle, Arif Javed, told this correspondent that more than 18,000 vehicles had arrived in Galiyat.