FFK Blog Fehmeeda Farid Khan
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NOC for Prohibited Zones
The NOC is omitted for foreigners however they (particularly Indian citizens) are barred from entering the following areas in Pakistan.
- Azad Kashmir: A 10 mile band along the Line of Control (LOC)
- Balochistan: Quetta, Sibi, and Kalat Divisions, excluding Quetta City
- Chaman Road in Quetta
- Road from Quetta to Ziarat, including Ziarat
- Road from Quetta to Zahedan
- Quetta-Zhob-Jacobabad-Sukkur Road
- Zahedan-Quetta (Loralai, Dera Ghazi Khan Road)
- Hub-Chowki and Uthal Industrial Areas in Lasbela District
- Cantonments and Prohibited Zones
- Prohibited sites within or outside cantonments as outlined in Section 2(8) of the Official Act of 1923
- Isolated cantonments such as Kharian, Gujranwala, Shorkot, etc.
- Cantonments united with civic areas like as Peshawar, Nowshera, Rawalpindi, and Lahore
- Roadways, market areas, civil centres, parks, hotels, and airports etc.
- All vital installations that have been clearly marked as restricted zones.
NOC for Northern Regions
- A 10 mile belt along the Line of Control
- A 30 mile stretch of border with Afghanistan’s Wakhan Province.
- Northern Areas, with the exception of the section of the Karakoram Highway that runs through the area from Gircha to Bara Khun.
- The Karakoram Highway (KKH) from Thakot to Khunjerab Pass, i.e. the Pakistan-China border, is now open to foreigners. However the foreigners are not permitted to move on either side of the road within the 30 mile radius stated above, and no cross-country movement is permitted.
- A zone of 10 miles along the Indo-Pakistan border, excluding the roadway to India via Wagah check post or any other authorised check post.
- North of Nine Green Buoy, but omitting Yari Creek, the Main Channel and PIDC Channel.
- Pak-Afghan Border A 10 mile belt all the way along the Pak-Afghan border, except in Wakhan (Afghanistan), where it should be 30 miles, starting from the border in the province of Chitral.
NOC for Tribal Regions
These areas are prohibited for foreigners.
- North and South Waziristan’s Kurram Agency
- Malakand Division including the towns of Bajaur, Kot, and Agra.
- Nagdhara and Usheri Dara, Dir District
- Warsak Dam and Power House, Mohmand Agency
- Peshawar-Torkham Road, the Khyber Agency
- Peshawar-Kohat Road, tribal areas attached to Kohat District and Dara Adam Khel, including gun factories.
- Bannu and D.I. Khan Districts have Special Areas.
Others
- Pak-China Border: A 10 mile-long belt runs along the whole border.
- Tehsil Kahuta, District Rawalpindi, is a protected region.
NOC Free Areas in AJK
- Muzaffarabad including Peer Chinasi
-
Bagh including Lasdanna and Dhirkot
- Rawalakot including Toli Peer
- Jhelum Valley (Hattian Bala) upto Reshian. Foreigners are not allowed to visit Leepa Valley without NOC.
- Haveli except areas near LOC
- Palandri (Sudhnuti)
- Kotli except areas near LOC
- Mirpur
- Bhimber
It is worth mentioning here that whole Neelum Valley is a restricted area. Foreign tourists can go upto Dhanni waterfall. However they must need an NOC to visit the valley further.
Key Features
Various parts of the country that were previously off-limits to foreigners and required No-Objection Certificates (NOC) to visit are now open to tourists as of 2019.
Except for several prohibited and restricted places with conspicuous signboards, outsiders have free movement. Border crossings are also open and unrestricted.
Furthermore, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Chitral are unrestricted/unprohibited areas with the exception of:
- Pak-China border (10 miles)
- Pak-Afghan border (10 miles)
- AJK, along Line of Control (10 miles)
- Gilgit-Baltistan, along LoC (5 miles)
- Siachen, along Line of Actual Contact (10 miles)
Author: Fehmeeda Farid Khan
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My wife is forigner and I am ajk resident do I need Noc for my wife if she visit pakistan.and how to apply Noc procedure
Yes, she will need an NOC, in case she doesn’t have Pakistani or Kashmiri CNIC. Contact Interior Ministry of Pakistan, prior your visit, once you will get your Visa stamped. NOC can be obtained two months before your visit to Kashmir.
Exquisite Kashmir awaits foreign tourists.
The beautiful tourist destination of Pir Chinasi is situated 25 km from Azad Kashmir’s capital, atop a snow-covered peak that is nearly 10,000 feet above sea level.
Much like other tourist destinations in the region such as Neelam Valley, Tolipir and Banjosa, Pir Chinasi attracts a large number of visitors every year.
Every year thousands of them, mostly Pakistanis, visit the area in winter to enjoy the snowfall, though many more visit in summer to get some respite from the heat.
Kashmir is frequently described as “Paradise on Earth” due to its scenic landscapes, lush green mountains, sparkling rivers and lakes.
“Every year, about 700,000 tourists visit Poonch, and nearly 1.2 million people go to Neelam valley and its adjoining areas.”
The inflow of tourists has benefitted many Kashmiris living along its main routes and tourist spots.
Regardless of its huge potential to attract tourists, only Pakistanis are allowed to visit AJK. Foreign nationals are required to get a No Objection Certificate from the Pakistani government via a cumbersome process.
It is need of the hour that foreign tourists be allowed in Kashmir. This will not only project the Kashmir issue, but also financially benefit its people and state institutions. To promote and sustain tourism in the area, the state government should take initiatives.
Pearl Continental Hotel, the biggest chain in the country’s hospitality industry, has already extended its presence to Muzaffarabad.
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