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MEA issues ‘advisory’ prohibiting foreign journalists from reporting from ‘restricted’ areas including Kashmir

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Srinagar: The government of India (GOI) has issued an “advisory” for foreign correspondents working in India, reminding them of a “dormant rule” that prohibits them from travelling to certain areas, including parts of Jammu and Kashmir, without permission of the government, media reports said on Saturday.
“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,” reports quoting a directive of the ministry of external affairs (MEA) passed on 22 May 2018 said.
“Travel to these protected/restricted areas without prior approval/special permission may cause unnecessary access related issues resulting in inconvenience for the journalists,” the directive reads further.
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”.

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