Punjab granted 21 holidays to protect students from the cold, but families instead traveled to far colder areas
A traffic jam is seen in Ilam district of Kalam Valley as people from all over Punjab go there to enjoy the holidays. Photo: X
As winter vacations were announced across Punjab to protect students from cold, fog and smog, families instead traveled from comparatively warmer areas to regions experiencing extreme cold and snowfall.
With the onset of winter, public and private schools, colleges, universities and academies across Punjab got 21 holidays.
But instead of avoiding the cold and smog, students, parents and teachers headed to much colder areas, including Murree, Kalam Valley, Galiyat, Malam Jabba and Swat.
Pupils, parents and teachers have now demanded an extra week’s winter holiday. Meanwhile, when severe cold and snowfall began, families from Murree, Galiyat and Malam Jabba moved to Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar to protect children from extreme weather.
In Murree, Galiyat and Malam Jabba, winter vacations in the educational institutions last from December 24 to March 5 and span almost two and a half months, while summer vacations are limited to two weeks.
Residents from these areas have been temporarily shifted to Rawalpindi, Jhelum, Attock and Chakwal.
At the same time, families from Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sargodha and North Punjab have arrived in Murree and Galiyat for winter holidays.
All small and large hotels, motels and rest houses in Murree and Galiyat are fully booked, with families enjoying the snowfall and winter weather.
