Islamabad, Aug 21: Unexpected barriers prevented four Chinese cyclists on a tour of Pakistan and Afghanistan from entering Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
At the Punjab-KP boundary, the group was stopped and told to proceed to the Attock Khurd checkpost. Senior authorities from Punjab and KP attempted to resolve the matter, but were unable in allowing the riders to enter KP and were returned to Punjab.The lack of a no objection certificate (NOC), which is required for foreign visitors in some areas, was the main cause of the denial. The bicycles were stopped while traveling from Punjab to Nowshera and Peshawar.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi has criticized the decision to bar the Chinese tourists. In a recent declaration, The governor called for a thorough explanation from the relevant authorities and denounced the conduct as a grave oversight.He questioned the decision’s wider ramifications and described the rejection as a bad reflection on the province and the nation.
