What’s really happening on the road to Gilgit-Baltistan?

Every year, as June and July roll in, railway stations, bus stands and airports see a huge influx of passengers across Pakistan — a majority of them heading up north to escape the scorching heat down south. But this year, many tourists are sceptical: to go or not to go? The reason behind the confusion? Social media. Since early June, dozens of videos showing dangerous floods, cloudbursts, rains and landslides have been circulating online. Don’t go to GB, or so the posts say. Some even urged people to cancel their trips. On the other hand, social media accounts promoting tourism have been sharing entirely different content, inviting people to visit the lush green meadows and snowcapped peaks of GB. So which side of the internet should you trust? Here’s what’s actually going on, and what to check before you leave. GB tourism official asks travellers to check advisories before starting their journey What tourists saw “I heard reports of landslides before setting out and was prepared for the worst … but by the time we reached the Babusar Top, the roads had already been cleared,” said Simran Abeer, who recently returned from a north trip. Earlier, on June 17, heavy rains triggered landslides and mudflows that temporarily blocked sections of the Karakoram Highway in Diamer and the Baltistan Road in Skardu. Authorities cleared the roads and advised travellers to verify conditions before departing. The 24-year-old recalled that she did not experience active snowfall during her trip. “But I did see snow at the top melting and muddy patches along the road,” she told the team over the phone. Yusra Aiman, 30, who also visited GB in mid-June, said leaving early in the morning made all the difference for her. “Even the drive along the Karakoram Highway was smo­oth throughout,” she pointed out. Both Simran and Yusra noted that it was not the weather but the prot­e­­sts that stopped them. They reco­unted delays in Chilas due to road blockades. “We were stuck on the road for around