Home ministry says climbers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, China and Afghanistan need permission to scale Indian peaks

New Delhi: Mountaineers from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and China will have to take prior permission for climbing “open peaks” in India and will have to follow specific routes as prescribed by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, according to a Home ministry order. Amending the over-70-year-old Foreigners Order, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a gazette notification on Friday saying that nationals or persons having their origin to the four countries will have to take permission for even climbing peaks which are “open”. The ministry said that Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) shall specify routes, attach liaison officer and impose such restrictions “as it may deem necessary in respect of peaks which are so opened under specific orders issued by the Central Government”. India had earlier opened 137 peaks across the country which included Kanchenjunga, Nepal Peak in Sikkim, Garur Parbat and Purbi Dunagiri in Uttarakhand, Mount Kailash in Jammu and Kashmir, and Mulkila in Himachal Pradesh. India has around 200 peaks. It said no foreigner or group of foreigners shall climb or attempt to climb any mountain peak in India, except those peaks which are opened for mountaineering or trekking expeditions, without obtaining the prior permission in writing of the Central government.