GILGIT: The Hunza district administration on Monday required the local expedition teams to obtain No Objection Certificate before undertaking any attempt to climb peaks in the region, causing concerns among the people involved in the tourism industry.

Mirza Ali, who along with his sister Samina Baig, the first women mountaineer in Pakistan, are running a training programme to encourage women mountaineers, and promote tourism industry in Gilgit-Baltistan, told Dawn on Monday that it was for the first time that the locals were required to obtain NOC before undertaking the expeditions, which was unjustified.

So far, he said only foreigners were required to obtain permit for climbing the peaks 6,500 feet above the sea level in the region, and locals were exempted from the restriction.

He said as there was no awareness about climbing in Pakistan, so there were no sponsors for such events.

Mr Ali said that he and his sister had trained 11 girl mountaineers from across Pakistan to climb some unknown and unclimbed peaks in Gilgit-Baltistan. Girls from Sindh and other parts of Pakistan have arrived in Gujal Hunza to take part in the expedition, he said, adding the team planned to attempt 6,200 kilometres high peak near Khunjerab pass. However, he worried that the ban would hamper their programme.

Published in Dawn, August 8th, 2017