ISLAMABAD: Authorities in the federal capital have decided to close hiking trails for the public today, Sunday, amid a heavy-rainfall warning to ensure the safety of citizens, the district magistrate’s office said in a notification.
The decision touches a cherished weekend hiking culture in a city built at the foot of the Margalla Hills, part of the Himalayan range.
Last month, Saidpur Village on the Margallas witnessed hill torrents after about 150 millimeters of rain, sweeping away vehicles. Since then, authorities have been shutting nearby trails during heavy-rain alerts, as the routes are prone to sudden flooding.
“In view of the heavy to very heavy rainfall forecast for the next 72 hours by the Pakistan Meteorological Department, keeping in view the safety of citizens, including hikers/visitors to the Margalla Hills, it is hereby notified that Trail 2, Trail 3, Trail 4, Trail 5, and Trail behind Saidpur Village shall remain closed on 24th August 2025 for the general public in the Federal Capital,” said the official notification circulated Saturday night.
The warning comes as the nationwide monsoon death toll has reached 788 since June 26, according to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).
Islamabad has recorded eight rain-related fatalities over the same period.
Pakistani authorities have forecast fresh rains and potential flooding across multiple regions until Aug. 30, with the NDMA warning that torrential rains could trigger flash floods in streams across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) — where deaths have already climbed to 469 — as well as urban flooding in low-lying areas of Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Lahore, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Peshawar, Nowshera and Mardan.
Landslides are also possible in KP, Gilgit-Baltistan, Murree, Galiyat and Azad Kashmir.
Annual monsoons are vital for agriculture and water supplies but in recent years have unleashed destructive flooding and landslides.
The latest downpours, intensifying since Aug. 15 in districts such as Swat, Shangla, Buner and Swabi, killed hundreds across KP and revived fears of a repeat of the catastrophic 2022 floods that submerged a third of Pakistan and caused $30 billion in damage.
