Visit Permit for Minimarg
The only way to get permission for Minimarg is to get NOC from Pakistan Army. GHQ or FCNA Rawalpindi has the authority to issue the permit to tourists and travelers. There is no other way except getting a permit from security forces.
Anyone having a friend in the army and posted in Chilim or nearby areas can take benefit of his presence there. There is no surety of getting NOC or entry from the backdoor, but there is a chance. The probability directly proportional to the designation of your family member or friends in army.
There is an indirect way of getting permission to Minimarg too. Which is introduced recently, that visitors have to submit their most related documents to the Assistant Commissioner of the Minimarg region. On the consensus of both civil administration and military forces, issue permits to tourists and travelers on a first come first serve basis. This means of getting entry permit is a lengthy and difficult process to follow. There will be three copies of the permit, which you have to submit at designated check posts.
Commander 80 brigade of Minimarg region announced that no permission required for tourist to visit Minimarg this summer. Tourists have to follow some SOPs only and permit procedure is exempted for the year 2022. Read the attached link for more detail regarding permit exception for tourists in 2022.
About Minimarg
Minimarg is a village in the District Astore. It is situated right to the Deosai Plains approximately 190 km from the city of Gilgit. The elevation above the sea level is 2,844.6 meters. This village is located next to Srinagar India. LOC of this region is quite peaceful than the other region of AJK. Due to the sensitivity of the region, there is no open route permission for tourists to visit Minimarg.
During the First Kashmir War in 1947–1948, a wing of the combined Gilgit Scouts and renegade 6th Infantry of the Jammu and Kashmir State Forces called the ‘Tiger Force’, took control of Minimarg. They reached as far south as Bandipora in April 1948 but withdrew to Minimarg after the Indian Army’s Operation Erase. You can travel Minimarg all the way from Skardu as well, click to follow the quick guide.
Weather of Minimarg
Minimarg is considered to be one of the cold villages of Gilgit Baltistan. The average temperature during summer days is 20°C, it may fall during rain or on a cloudy day.
Winter is blood-freezing cold in Minimarg. The average temperature in winter is below -18°C. Locals used to store as much fuel as possible in summer, and consume the storage in winter. recommended to visit the area in summer season only.
Source of income in Minimarg
Deosai and Minimarg both are the hubs of natural herbs. Due to its landscape and climatic conditions, the valley provides a habitat for a variety of commercially important medicinal plants. This region is also very famous for growing potatoes.
The dominant source of income is agriculture. Some people travel to other regions of the country to earn. Very small ratio is earning is from tourist and travellers, and major contribution is from the sale of natural herbs and potatoes.
