15/05/2015 11:33
Asia-Plus news.tj/en/news/foreign-citizens-temporarily-prohibited-visiting-gorno-badakhshan
DUSHANBE, May 15, 2015, Asia-Plus – Tajik authorities have suspended issuing permits to foreign citizens for visiting the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
Rezo Nazarzoda, the deputy head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan, says entry of foreign citizens to Gorno Badakhshan has been temporarily suspended because of uneasy situation in Afghanistan's districts bordering the region.
“As soon as the situation in the neighboring country changes for the better we will resume issuing permits to foreign citizens for visiting Gorno Badakhshan,” Nazarzoda said, noting that tour operators know about that suspension.
We will recall that Radio Liberty reports that there has been a lot of trouble across northern Afghanistan in recent months and one reason is the arrival of militants from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU). When the Pakistani military started a large-scale operation in North Waziristan last spring it reportedly chased IMU militants from their safe havens and sent them, with their families, across the border into northern Afghanistan. Since then they have spread out from the Badakhshan Province in the east to Badghis Province in the west.
Be careful: Foreign citizens temporarily prohibited from visiting Gorn
Tajikistan cancels decision banning foreigners from visiting Gorno Badakhshan
DUSHANBE, May 19, 2015, Asia-Plus -- Tajikistan has canceled the decision banning foreign citizens from visiting the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).
The Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs under the Government of Tajikistan informs that the decision banning foreign nationals from visiting Gorno Badakhshan has been canceled.
The travel ban for foreign nationals was introduced on May 15 because of unstable situation in neighboring Afghanistan.
Navrouz Qurbonov, an official with the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, says the ban that was introduced several days ago for the purpose of providing safety of foreign tourists has been lifted and the Tajik authorities have resumed to issue permits to foreigners to visit the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region.
We will recall that Tajikistan banned foreigners from visiting Gorno Badakhshan, the country's main draw for tourists several days ago.
The government claimed it had stopped issuing permits to foreigners to visit Gorno Badakhshan due to fighting across the border in Afghanistan.
“The ban is a temporary measure done for the safety of tourists. As soon as the situation in the neighboring country changes for the better we will resume issuing permits to foreign citizens for visiting Gorno Badakhshan,” Rezo Nazarzoda, the deputy head of the Committee for Youth, Sports and Tourism Affairs, told Asia-Plus on May 15.
According to him, 80 percent of tourists come to Tajikistan to visit the Pamir Mountains in GBAO.
Gorno Badakhshan is home to many of Tajikistan's highest mountains and other wonders, such as medieval Silk Road fortresses and alpine lakes.
National Geographic Russia recently named the Pamirs third in its favorite places to visit in the former Soviet Union.
news.tj/en/news/tajikistan-cancels-decision-banning-foreigners-visiting-gorno-badakhshan
