No bar on foreigners visiting G-B: State Minister for Interior

State Minister for Interior tells the senate that the government has lifted ban on tourist visas for Gilgit-Baltistan

ISLAMABAD: State Minister for Interior Muhammad Baligh-Ur-Rehman on Friday informed the Senate that the government has lifted ban on tourist visas for Gilgit-Baltistan.

Replying to a calling attention notice of Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja in the upper house of the parliament, the minister said that the government has lifted this ban on May 22 this year to encourage tourism industry.

He said that this ban was imposed in year 1954 due to sensitivity of the area and to ensure security of foreign tourists.

Baligh however said that now foreign tourists could visit G-B on tourist visa and there was no requirement of any No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for them.

He said that the decision of lifting ban on tourist visa was made on the request of the G-B government.

The regional government had assured to set-up tourists centers and ensuring security of foreign tourists, on which the government has lifted the ban. He supported Senator Khawaja for allowing foreign tourists to visit G-B.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 3^rd, 2017.