NEW DELHI, Sept 18: Indian trekkers heading for Siachen were turned back from Mumbai airport after the Defence Ministry halted the expedition, apparently in response to Pakistan’s protest, The Indian Express said on Tuesday.

It said the first civilian trekking expedition to the Siachen Glacier was abruptly “postponed” on Monday evening hours after Islamabad lodged a strong protest saying that any move to open the glacier for tourism would be “incongruous” to ongoing peace efforts between the countries.

Trekkers, who had reached Mumbai airport for a flight to Leh to begin the first leg of the expedition, were told that the trip was off. “The trekkers, who were at the airport with mountain trekking gear and non-refundable air tickets, were not given any reason why the expedition had been called off,” the Express said.

“We have just been given verbal communication that it is not happening now but no new dates have been given. It is too late to even cancel the tickets,” Professor Charuhas Joshi, one of the participants, told the paper over phone.

Some 20 people were scheduled to reach Leh on Wednesday for the first glacial trek to the 16,000-foot high Kumar Post, organised by the Army Adventure Wing.

Sources told the newspaper that the expedition was called off after it came to light that the army had not sought requisite clearances from India’s Ministry of Defence.

“The issue of clearance was looked into by the ministry only after Pakistan lodged a strong protest, warning that Indian plans to open Siachen to tourists could adversely affect the ongoing peace efforts,” the paper said. Pakistan had said the expedition could put the whole process “on its head.”

However, the Indian military said on Tuesday that it would go ahead with plans to allow trekkers to visit the Siachen Glacier, rejecting protests of Pakistan against opening the area to tourism, according to AFP.

The Indian army said Pakistan’s complaints were a “diplomatic affair,” and stressed there was nothing wrong with “a routine adventure” trip.