US cautions its nationals from travelling to Pakistan

Washington, Aug 9: The US on Monday cautioned its citizens from travelling to Pakistan, noting that the presence of al-Qaeda, Taliban elements, and indigenous militant sectarian groups poses a potential threat to Americans throughout the country.

Terrorists and their sympathisers regularly attack civilian, government, and foreign targets, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the State Department said in travel bulletin.

Observing that the Pakistan government has heightened security measures, particularly in major cities, the report said threat reporting indicates terrorist groups continue to seek opportunities to attack locations where US citizens and Westerners are known to congregate or visit, such as shopping areas, hotels, clubs and restaurants, places of worship, schools, or outdoor recreation events.

"Terrorists have disguised themselves as Pakistani security personnel to gain access to targeted areas. Some media reports have recently falsely identified US diplomats and to a lesser extent US and other Western journalists and workers for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as being intelligence operatives or private security personnel," the State Department said.

Visits by US government personnel to Peshawar, Karachi and Lahore are limited, and movements by US government personnel assigned to the Consulates General in those cities are severely restricted, it reported.

"US officials in Islamabad are instructed to restrict the frequency and to minimise the duration of trips to public markets, restaurants, and other locations. Only a limited number of official visitors are placed in hotels, and for limited stays," the report said.

PTI