The United States (US) has urged its citizens to reconsider travel to Pakistan mainly due to terrorism and risks to civil aviation operating within or near the country. The Federal Aviation Administration, in a notice issued on Wednesday, said that terrorist groups continue to plot possible attacks in Pakistan.
“Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to terrorism,” the State Department said in a latest travel advisory. It asked Americans not to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) provinces, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir area due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.
Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Pakistan, it said, adding that 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.
Noting the threat of terrorism in Balochistan and KP including the erstwhile FATA, the State Department said large-scale terrorist attacks have resulted in hundreds of casualties over the last several years. India and Pakistan maintain a strong military presence on both sides of the border, the warning said.
The only official Pakistan-India border crossing point for persons who are not citizens of India or Pakistan is in the province of Punjab between Wagah, Pakistan, and Attari, India, the advisory said. Urging its citizens not to travel to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the US State Department claimed militant groups are known to operate in the area. “The threat of armed conflict between India and Pakistan remains. Indian and Pakistani military forces periodically exchange fire across the Line of Control,” it added.