US citizens should reconsider travelling to Pakistan due to terrorism, potential for armed conflict: State Dept – Pakistan

The United States Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, on Friday said that US citizens should reconsider travelling to Pakistan “due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict”.

Following a crackdown on illegal immigration launched soon after US President Donald Trump took office, the administration looks set to re-introduce curbs on travellers from several countries — including Pakistan and Afghanistan.

According to a Reuters report, the ban would bar people from the listed countries from entering the US and could come into force as early as next week.

President Trump had issued an executive order on Jan 20, requiring intensified security vetting of any foreigners seeking admission to the US to detect national security threats.

That order had also directed several cabinet members to submit by March 12 a list of countries from which travel should be partly or fully suspended because their “vetting and screening information is so deficient”.

The issue was raised twice during Thursday’s press briefing at the Foreign Office, but spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan sidestepped the questions, saying he had not seen the report in question.

According to a US Department of State periodic review updated on March 7, US citizens should reconsider their travelling to Pakistan as terrorism and potential for armed conflict were prevalent in the country.

“Some areas have increased risk,” the review said.

It advised citizens not to travel to Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, including the merged tribal districts — formerly Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) — due to terrorism.

It further asked citizens to refrain from travelling to the immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.

According to the country summary on the website, the state department said that violent extremist groups continued to plot attacks, adding that attacks were frequent in Balochistan and KP.

While citing the different scales of terrorist attacks in the region, the review said that “terrorism and ongoing violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilians, as well as local military and police targets”.

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting transportation hubs, markets, shopping malls, military installations, airports, universities, tourist attractions, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and government facilities,” it said, adding that terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past.

It said that the local government restricted the travel of US government personnel working in Pakistan, stating that the US had limited ability to provide services to US citizens in the KP, Balochistan, and most areas outside of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi.

“Due to the risks, US government personnel working in Pakistan must obtain special authorisation to travel to most areas outside of Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi,” it said.

“The US Embassy and Consulates require US government personnel to use armed escorts and armored vehicles when traveling in certain parts of the country, both for official and personal travel,” it read, adding that restrictions on movements could occur, depending on local circumstances and security conditions.

“US government personnel on assignment in Pakistan are prohibited from attending most large gatherings,” it said.

The review also said that the US embassy and consulates had “limited ability to provide consular services to dual US-Pakistani citizens who have been arrested or detained”.

“Pakistani law considers such individuals to be exclusively citizens of Pakistan,” it said.