Preemptive measures: NOC to be made compulsory for tourists

Earlier in last September four climbers Usman, Imran and Khurram aged between 30 and 35 years had gone missing

MUZAFFARABAD:

The government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) decided on Friday that a No Objection Certificate will now be made mandatory for the adventure tourism in the area, a notice in this regard will soon be issued by the tourism department. Tourism Department of AJK has asked people from all the four provinces who want to scale peaks, raft, paraglide or rock climbing in the area to first get an NOC for the concerned department. Earlier in last September Islamabad –based climbers Usman, Imran and Khurram aged between 30 and 35 years had gone missing while trying to scale the Sirwali peak in the Kel area of Neelum Valley. On September 16 the Neelum District administration called off the rescue operation and declared both the missing climbers dead who had gone Neelum Valley for climbing without any NOC.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2015.