Reconsider travel to Pakistan: US travel advisory

Washington, Oct 07: The United States has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Pakistan, citing terrorism and sectarian violence.

In a travel advisory issued on Thursday, the US State Department urged its citizens to avoid travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) provinces, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism and kidnapping.

"Terrorist groups continue plotting attacks in Pakistan. A local history of terrorism and ongoing ideological aspirations of violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilians as well as local military and police targets," a statement said.

"Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist locations, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and government facilities. Terrorists have targeted U.S. diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past," it added.

"Terrorist attacks continue to happen across Pakistan, with most occurring in Balochistan and KPK, including the former FATA. Large-scale terrorist attacks have resulted in numerous casualties," it further said.

Pakistan's security environment has improved since 2014 when Pakistani security forces undertook concerted counter-terrorist and counter-militant operations.

There are greater security resources and infrastructure in the major cities, particularly Islamabad, and security forces in these areas may be more readily able to respond to an emergency compared to other areas of the country. While threats still exist, terrorist attacks are rare in Islamabad.

The government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Pakistan due to the security environment.

Travel by U.S. government personnel within Pakistan is restricted, and additional restrictions on movements by US government personnel outside of US diplomatic facilities may occur at any time, depending on local circumstances and security conditions, which can change suddenly.