Tourism operations in Punjab’s Salt Range, Murree and other northern areas have been suspended due to heavy monsoon rains, landslides and an increase in cloudburst incidents.
Punjab Tourism Secretary Raja Jahangir Anwar said on Tuesday that climate change has severely disrupted the tourism sector, causing substantial economic losses.
“Both domestic and international tourism have suffered,” he said. “The cable car service in Patriata has been closed after one of its pylons collapsed during torrential rains.” For the past two days, tourist activities across Murree, Kallar Kahar, Chakwal’s lakes and other northern destinations have been at a complete halt.
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“Large numbers of local tourists from Punjab’s plains and Sindh usually travel to these destinations, but all such activities have now come to a standstill,” he said.
Despite the setbacks, Anwar stressed that tourism could not be abandoned. “Tourism cannot be given up because of climate change,” he said. “The Punjab government has allocated Rs33 billion for new tourist attractions, restoration of heritage sites and infrastructure upgrades in northern regions.”
He added that Murree, Kallar Kahar and the Salt Range were being upgraded, while Fort Munro was being developed into a prime hill station.
Anwar also said that tourism facilities were being activated in Rajanpur, Layyah and Multan. “We are placing special emphasis on promoting desert tourism in South Punjab, particularly in Cholistan,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has issued an advisory urging citizens to avoid traveling to northern tourist spots and to monitor weather conditions before planning trips.
According to official figures, since June 2025 at least 162 people have lost their lives and hundreds have been injured in monsoon-related incidents, particularly in the Salt Range and Chakwal, where cloudbursts and flash floods have caused widespread devastation.
