GILGIT: The Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court on Friday suspended the decision of GB government to increase mountaineering royalty and trekking fee in the region.

The court also suspended increase in Central Karakoram National Park (CKNP)environmentalmanagement fee. The GB Chief Court also sent notices to respondents of the case.

Pakistan Association of TourOperators (Pato) President retired Captain Niaz Ahmed, through his counsel advocate Sanan Ahmed, had submitted a petition in the GB Chief Court challenging the decision of GB government to increase royalty fee of issuance of mountaineering and trekking expeditions and hike in the CKNP fee.

Respondents of the case were GB government, GB chief secretary, GB secretary for tourism, secretary finance, GB council chairman and director of CKNP.

The petitioners pleaded that the abrupt decision of the GB government to increase the royalty fee of mountaineering and trekking expeditions as well CKNP fee by 300 per cent under the GB Finance Act, 2024, has badly affected adventure tourism in Pakistan.

The petitioners alleged that the GB government`s decision of massive hike is detrimental to the region`sgrowing adventure tourism sector.

Pato President retired Captain Niaz Ahmed told Dawn that Pato had approached the GB government, the federal government and top officials requesting them to withdraw the decision and explained its impacts on adventure tourism in the country, but no-one considered the issue and finally Pato had to approach the court to seek justice.

He said the GB government`s decision badly impacted the adventure tourism in the country.

`Because of the government`s this decision, not a single expedition team attempted to climb peaks in the country this winter and 70 per cent foreign mountaineers and trekkers cancelled their plans to visit Pakistan for climbing and trekking purpose, the Pato president said.

Captain Ahmed said that Pakistan earned direct foreign exchange through foreign tourists.`A foreign adventure tourists spend thousands of dollars during his or her stay in Pakistan, which benefits locals and bring badlyneeded foreign exchange to the country, he said.

A large number of GB people, hotel owners, transporters, shops owners and porters depend on adventure tourism for their means of living in the area.

He said the CKNP fee which charges from mountaineers and trekkers for environmental management has been increased up to 300 dollars, while performance of CKNP to environmental management at GB peaks remained zero.

Muhammad Ali, a tour operator and Pato member, told Dawn that it is very hard to attract foreign adventure tourists to Pakistan despite having potential. He said the foreign adventure tourists even have not travel advisory from their coun-tries to visit Pakistan.

He said that foreign adventure tourists prefer Nepal for mountaineering and trekking as permits fees for climbing peaks including eight thousanders, except Mount Everest, and trekking fees are less than Pakistan.

The mountainous region of the country is home to the world`s highest peaks including five eight thousanders and over 100 seven-thousanders. Foreign and national adventure-seekers, including climbers and trekkers, visit Gilgit-Baltistan in large numbers every year.

Pato members said that the GB government has significantly jacked up the royalty and mountaineering fees, including trekking permits fee, making them the most expensive in the region.

They explained that one foreign expedition on K-2 fetched about $60,000 to GB, benefiting the gov-ernment, tour operators, the hospitality sector, transporters, the aviation sector, high-altitude porters and rescue service providers.

`However, the increase in the royalty and permit fees has made it hard for the tour operators to sell mountain expeditions and treks to foreign and domestic clients,` they pointed out. Tour operators expressed reservations that they were not considered a stakeholder by the government while it was formulating the policy.

GB Chief Court judge Raja Shakeel Ahmed conducted the hearing of the case on Friday. After arguments from the Pato counsel, the judge admitted the case for regular hearing and ordered suspension of 300 per cent increase in the royalty fee for mountaineering and trekking and CKNP fees till the next hearing of the case. Notices were also issued torespondents ofthe case.