The Department of State warns U.S.
citizens against non-essential travel to Pakistan in light of the threat of
terrorist activity. This replaces the Travel Warning dated November 21, 2008,
and updates information on security incidents, notes the temporary relocation of
some employees from the US Consulate in Peshawar to Islamabad, and reminds U.S.
citizens of ongoing security concerns in Pakistan.
The presence of
Al-Qaida, Taliban elements, and indigenous sectarian groups poses a potential
danger to American citizens, especially in the western border regions of
Pakistan. Continuing tensions in the Middle East also increase the possibility
of violence against Westerners in Pakistan. Terrorists and their sympathizers
have demonstrated their willingness and capability to attack targets where
Americans are known to congregate or visit, such as hotels, clubs and
restaurants, places of worship, schools, or outdoor recreation events. Visits
by U.S. government personnel to Peshawar and Karachi are limited and movements
are severely restricted. American officials in Lahore and Islamabad are
instructed to exercise caution and restrict the frequency of trips to public
markets, restaurants, and other locations. Only a limited number of official
visitors are placed in hotels, for limited stays. From time to time depending
on ongoing security assessments, the U.S. Embassy places areas such as hotels,
markets, and/or restaurants off limits to official personnel. American citizens
in Pakistan are strongly urged to avoid hotels that do not apply stringent
security measures and to maintain good situational awareness, particularly when
visiting locations frequented by westerners.
On November 12, 2008, an
American government contractor and his driver in Peshawar were shot and killed
in their car. In September 2008, over fifty people, including three Americans,
were killed and hundreds were injured when a suicide bomber set off a truck
filled with explosives outside a major international hotel in Islamabad. In
August 2008, gunmen stopped and shot at the vehicle of an American diplomat in
Peshawar. In March 2008, a restaurant frequented by westerners in Islamabad was
bombed, killing one patron and seriously injuring several others, including four
American diplomats. On March 2, 2006, an American diplomat, a Consulate
employee, and three others were killed when a suicide bomber detonated a car
packed with explosives alongside the U.S. Consulate General in Karachi.
Fifty-two others were wounded.
Sectarian and extremist violence has
resulted in fatal bomb attacks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar,
Quetta, Lahore, and other Pakistani cities in 2007, and 2008. There were over
60 suicide bombings in 2008 that killed approximately 1,000 people throughout
Pakistan. Some of the attacks have occurred outside major hotels, in market
areas and other locations frequented by Americans. Other recent targets have
included restaurants, Pakistani government officials and buildings, mosques, and
international NGOs. Since late 2007, occasional rockets have targeted areas in
and around Peshawar.
Since 2007, several American citizens throughout
Pakistan have been kidnapped for ransom or for personal reasons. Kidnappings of
foreigners are particularly common in the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and
Baluchistan. In 2008, one Iranian and two Afghan diplomats, two Chinese
engineers, and a Polish engineer were kidnapped in NWFP. In February 2009, an
American UNHCR official was kidnapped in Baluchistan. Kidnappings of Pakistanis
also increased dramatically across the country, usually for
ransom.
Pakistani security forces are engaged in combat with militants
across many areas of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and parts of
the Northwest Frontier Province. Access to many areas of Pakistan, including
the FATA along the Afghan border, and the area adjacent to the Line of Control
(LOC) in the disputed territory of Kashmir, is restricted by local government
authorities for non-Pakistanis. Travel to any restricted region requires
official permission by the Government of Pakistan. Failure to obtain such
permission in advance can result in arrest and detention by Pakistani
authorities. Due to security concerns the U.S. Government currently allows only
essential travel within the FATA by American officials. Rallies, demonstrations,
and processions occur regularly throughout Pakistan on very short notice. In
the aftermath of the December 2007 death of former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto, widespread rioting in Karachi led to multiple deaths and injuries as
well as widespread property damage. Demonstrations have often taken on an
anti-American or anti-Western character, and Americans are urged to avoid large
gatherings.
U.S. citizens who travel to or remain in Pakistan despite
this Travel Warning are encouraged to register with the Embassy in Islamabad or
the Consulates in Karachi, Lahore, or Peshawar. This registration can be
completed online through the Department of State's travel registration website:
https://travelregistration.state.gov.
Alternatively, Americans without Internet access should contact the nearest
Embassy or Consulate for information on registering in person. Registration
enables citizens to obtain updated information on travel and security within
Pakistan via the emergency alert system (warden network).
Americans in
country should take appropriate individual precautions to ensure their safety
and security. These measures include maintaining good situational awareness,
avoiding crowds and demonstrations and keeping a low profile. Avoid setting
patterns by varying times and routes for all required travel. Ensure that
travel documents and visas are valid at all times. Official Americans are
instructed to avoid use of public transportation and restrict their use of
personal vehicles in response to security concerns.
The U.S. Embassy in
Islamabad is located at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5; telephone: (92-51)
208-0000; Consular Section telephone: (92-51) 208-2700; fax: (92-51) 282-2632;
website: http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/.
The
U.S. Consulate General in Karachi is located at 8 Abdullah Haroon Road;
telephone: (92-21) 520-4200 or (92-21) 520-4400 after hours; fax: (92-21)
568-0496; website: http://karachi.usconsulate.gov/.
The
U.S. Consulate in Lahore is located on 50 Sharah-E-Abdul Hamid Bin Badees (Old
Empress Road), near Shimla Hill Rotary; tel: (92-42)603-4000 or (91-42)603-4250;
fax: (92-42) 603-4200; website: http://lahore.usconsulate.gov; email:
amconsul@brain.net.pk.
The
U.S. Consulate in Peshawar is located at 11 Hospital Road, Cantonment, Peshawar;
telephone: (92-91) 526-8800; fax: (92-91) 528-4171; website: http://Peshawar.usconsulate.gov.
For
the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly
monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the Worldwide Caution and the Pakistan
Country Specific Information can be found. Up-to-date information on security
can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States
and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll
line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
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