GILGIT: A dispute between tour operators and the tourism department in Gilgit-Baltistan continues to impact the sector in the mountainous region, as the apex court after suspending the increase in permit fees for foreign visitors had not provided clarity on the way forward.After the hike, the tour operators took the government to court and the judge issued a stay order, suspending the fee hike.

However, the next hearing could not be held due to a strike by lawyers, as both parties are sticking to the interpretation of the order, which would benefit their claims.

The operators have sought licences at the previous rates while the government has said that the courthadnotissued such instructions, particularly when the previous finance bill had already been replaced through the 2024 Finance Act that increasedthefee.

The Pakistan Association of Tour Operators (Pato) said that the uncertainty forced many trekkers to cancel their plans since they could not get the permit at the previous rates and some ofthem had already gone back home.

`The situation is serious; thousands of people in GB, including porters, hotel owners, transporters, shopkeepers, will be jobless, Pato President Niaz Ahmed said.

He alleged it was the ego of the GB tourism department officials that they were not ready to issue permits at previous rates.

Naiknaam Karim, a Pato representative, claimed a fifty per cent decline in foreign adventure tourism due to a fee hike for the upcoming season. Last year, he claimed to have hosted 60 foreign mountaineers and 96 trekkers in the summer.

`This year, I have only four foreign clients,` he said. `In the winter, not a single expedition or trekking group visited GB owing to the permit issue; the situation in summer also looks bleak,` he claimed.Pato counsel advocate Sanan Ahmed said the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court on February 28 had suspended the decision of the GB government to increase the trekking fee in the region.

The court also suspended the increaseinthe CentralKarakoram National Park environmental management fee.

However, despite the court order, the tourism department was reluctant to issue trekking and mountaineering permits to foreign adventurers.

According to the GB tourism secretary, Zamir Abbas, the Chief Court suspended the increase in the mountaineering royalty and trekking fees, but the court did not order them to issue permits at previous rates.

Mr Abbas said the tourism department could only issue permits at previous rates under theerstwhile Finance Act, which had been revoked by the GB Assembly for the Finance Act 2024.

He, however, assured that the department would implement the court order.

An official of the GB tourism department told Dawn that the process of issuing permits had been delayed owing to the petition filed by Pato and the court suspended the issuance of permits.

He held Pato responsible for the delay. The official also claimed that this year, a majority of operators sought permits according to new rates.

He said so far, 700 foreign mountaineers and trekkers have submitted applications for mountaineering and trekking visas, adding that foreign adventurers have plans to scale peaks and trek after June.The official said that currently, the GB tourism department couldn`t issue permits following the court order.

According to a statement issued by the GB tourism department on Sunday, about 25,000 foreign tourists visited Gilgit-Baltistan last year. It said 2,300 foreign mountaineers and trekkers were issued permits by the GB government after paying permit fees, but 22,000 foreign tourists visited Gilgit-Baltistan, and many of them were allowed trekking and climbing without paying fees.

The statement said that only two tourists have submitted applications for trekking permits, but they could not be issued due to litigation in court. Trekking and mountaineering season starts in May, and if the court issues clear directions, they will be implemented, it added.