RAWALPINDI: As the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) predicted rain in Rawalpindi and Islamabad and snowfall over the hills till December 22, the district administration of Murree said it had completed all arrangements to handle the situation. According to Met Office, landslides and snowfall may cause road closures/slippery conditions in Naran, Kaghan, Chitral, Dir, Swat, Kohistan, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Shangla, Gilgit, Astore, Hunza, Skardu, Murree, Galliyat, Neelum valley, Bagh, Poonch and Haveli on December 21. It stated that a westerly wave was affecting western and upper parts of the country. Rain (snowfall over mountains) is expected in north/west Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Gilgit-Baltistan, Kashmir, Islamabad and Potohar region. Cold and partly cloudy weather is likely in other parts of the country. Fog/smog is likely to persist over districts of eastern Punjab and upper Sindh. Talking to Dawn , Murree Deputy Commissioner Agha Zaheer Shirazi said the administration was on its toes to deal with any situation after the prediction of snowfall in the hill station. He said all hurdles had been removed from main roads for the smooth flow of traffic and the Provincial Disaster Management Authority was in contact and had provided the required machinery to remove snow from the roads. All hurdles removed from roads, machinery provided by PDMA to remove snow from highways, says DC He said the Rawalpindi Waste Management Company (RWMC) had been asked to clean roads and its shoulders to avoid water accumulation and open drains before the snowfall. He said traffic police will ensure smooth flow of traffic. “We allow more than 5000 vehicles to enter the city; however, the number will increase if traffic smoothly runs on the roads.” He said the health authority had already stocked life-saving medicine in the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital as well as dispensaries in all the union councils. He said Rescue 1122 will remain on alert till the end of the winter season. Moreover, Civil Defence Department officials will also be deployed in different parts of the hill station. To a question, the DC said road construction was being carried out at a few points but it would not affect the traffic flow towards the hill station. He said the district administration was monitoring the traffic situation through Safe City CCTV cameras. Meanwhile, on the special instructions of Secretary Emergency Services Punjab Dr Rizwan Naseer and the Murree deputy commissioner, Rescue 1122 has finalised its preparations under an emergency cover plan. Under the supervision of District Emergency Officer Murree Engineer Kamran Rashid, the officers and personnel will provide timely, effective and uninterrupted rescue facilities to citizens and tourists. Rescue 1122 has issued an alert and imposed ‘Code Red’ in Murree district, the main objective of which is to immediately control any possible emergency situation, ensure the safety of human lives and make traffic and public movement safe. In this regard, trained personnel are performing duties 24 hours a day at all permanent rescue stations, sensitive highways and important tourist destinations. These locations include Bypass Road Pindi Point, Chara Pani Road, Satra Meel Expressway, New Murree, GPO Chowk, The Mall, Upper Jhikagali Road, Kali Mati Barian Road, Upper Deol Road, Ghora Gali, Chhatar GT Road, Bhurban Rawat and Srinagar Road Aliyot. The DC said a total of 16 emergency ambulances, seven firefighting vehicles, two rescue vehicles and a mobile response force consisting of 25 rescue bikes had been deployed to provide immediate medical assistance, firefighting and rescue services to citizens and tourists. Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2025