Govt Asks Foreign Journalists To Seek Permission Before Travelling To J&K

Srinagar: New Delhi has issued an “advisory” for foreign correspondents working in India, reminding them that they need prior permission before travelling to certain “protected” areas, including Jammu and Kashmir, a media report said today.

“It has come to the notice of MEA that some foreign journalists based in India, while discharging their journalistic activities or travelling or for tourism purposes have travelled to places which come under restricted/protected areas that require prior permission/special permit,” The Print quoted from a letter, dated 22 May 2018, issued by the ministry of external affairs (MEA).

“Travel to these protected/restricted areas without prior approval/special permission may cause unnecessary access related issues resulting in inconvenience for the journalists,” the letter read.

The report said that the foreign correspondents have also been asked to provide “advance information, in requisite format” to the MEA before their visit since that will help it in “facilitating/arranging special permit from relevant agencies, where it is required”.

According to the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958, the whole of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and parts of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand have been declared as “protected areas”.