NOC compulsory for foreigners to visit G-B

Nisar directs his ministry to remove hurdles being faced by foreigners travelling to Gilgit-Baltistan

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has directed his ministry to remove hurdles being faced by foreigners travelling to Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) without compromising security.

The ministry defended the matter of issuance of no objection certificate (NOC) to foreigners for travelling to G-B saying that it’s nothing new and is in place since 1994.

The interior minister has ordered the ministry to devise a strategy to make the process of issuance of NOC to the foreigners easy and quick, said the ministry’s spokesman in a statement issued on Friday.

According to the spokesman, expansion of tourism and the people whose livelihood is associated with it in G-B is the government’s priority. However, a few steps for the security of the tourists are necessary, he added.

According to some media reports, the interior ministry imposed a ban on visits of foreign tourists to GB without NOC, which can be obtained from the ministry in Islamabad.

A letter recently sent by the ministry to the G-B government stated that it has been reported that foreigners are frequently visiting G-B without obtaining an NOC or security clearance from the ministry, which is against the rules.

The letter asked the authorities concerned to take concrete measures to curb the practice.