RAWALPINDI: A landslide near Salgran forced the closure of Grand Trunk (G.T.) Road in Murree following heavy monsoon rains, a spokesperson for the traffic police said on Wednesday.

Instead, the City Traffic Police Murree has issued an advisory for the public and tourists asking them to use the expressway to and from Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Murree.

He said due to heavy rains, a portion of the road at Salgran had become a target of landslides causing closure for all kinds of traffic, adding that Rawalpindi-Murree-Kashmir Road had also been temporarily closed.

Traffic diversion has been imposed at 17 Mile Toll Plaza, Bawar, Bansara, Gali Jhika, Lower Topa, the spokesperson said.

Chief Traffic Officer WaseemAkhtar urged road users to follow instructions of the traffic wardens deployed at the points, saying the traffic wardens were playing an important role in making the journey easier and lives safer.

The CTO also requested the public to avoid unnecessary travel during rains, and if necessary drive carefully.

He further said traffic wardens had been deployed at landslide points to guide road users and to ensure their safe journey.

As part of the advisory, tourists and public were also advised to keep a reasonable distance from the next vehicle and avoid overtaking.

For the safety of the public and due to the current weather conditions, instructions have been issued to use the alternative expressway by setting up a diversion point at G.T. Road Toll Plaza, the CTO said.

Chief Traffic OfficerMurreeWasim Akhtar, while giving instructions toDSP Traffic Murree Ghazi Sohail Shahzad and traffic officers and officials posted for Murree traffic duty, saidtrafficofficersandofficialsshould perform their duty honestly so that tourists and the public coming to Murree do not face any kind of problems.

DSP Traffic Murree and other officers should provide all possible facilities to tourists by staying in the field, the CTO said.

According to the SOP, driving license, fitness certificate of publicservice vehicles and the provincial government`s SOP for the entry of large vehicles should be strictly implemented so that no untoward incident like the past occurs.

The CTO said tourists should choose the right vehicle to come to Murree, keep the wipers and lights of the vehicle in perfect condition, avoid speeding due to slippery roads and dangerous turns.