Peshawar: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government has withdrawn its No-Objection Certificate (NOC) requirement for foreign tourists visiting Chitral, a news source reported.
Previously, the government had made it mandatory for these tourists to acquire an NoC from the district administration, prior to visiting Chitral.
Following this change in policy, the authorities concerned expect a huge inflow of tourists at the ‘Shandur Polo Festival’. KP Chief Minister (CM) Mahmood Khan recently inaugurated the 3-day event at Shandur, also referred to as the ‘Roof of the World’.
As per reports, the tourism department has ensured all necessary arrangements for the festival in its bid to facilitate both domestic and foreign tourists.
An official stated that the government expected more tourists this year due to restoration of peace in the province, along with the withdrawal of the NOC condition. Moreover, he revealed that the department had established an information centre in Chitral, as wells as a tent-village which would serve as a boarding lodge for the visitors.
The Tourism Corporation of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (TCKP), in collaboration with Chitral’s district administration, organises the Shandur Polo Festival every year. This festive occasion attracts a large number of local and foreign tourists who throng to the area every year to watch the contest enacted between the Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) teams.
