Travel Warnings
Travel Warning - Pakistan
September 19, 2012
The Department of State warns U.S. citizens to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan. This Travel Warning replaces the Travel Warning dated August 27, 2012, to remind U.S. citizens of ongoing security concerns in Pakistan.
Protests
have taken place across Pakistan against the United States,
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), and NATO.
There have also been widespread demonstrations
and large political rallies condemning drone strikes, Pakistan's ongoing
energy
crisis, and Pakistan's July 3, 2012, decision to
reopen NATO transit routes to Afghanistan. These protests and
demonstrations
are likely to continue. U.S. citizens in
Pakistan are strongly urged to avoid protests and large gatherings
.
The
presence of al-Qaida, Taliban elements, and indigenous militant
sectarian groups poses a potential danger to U.S. citizens
throughout Pakistan. Terrorists have attacked
several civilian, government, and foreign targets. The Government of
Pakistan
maintains heightened security measures,
particularly in the major cities. Threat reporting indicates terrorist
groups continue
to seek opportunities to attack locations where
U.S. citizens and Westerners are known to congregate or visit, such as
shopping
areas, hotels, clubs and restaurants, places of
worship, schools, and outdoor recreation events. Terrorists have
disguised
themselves as Pakistani security personnel to
gain access to targeted areas. Some media reports have falsely
identified U.S.
diplomats – and to a lesser extent U.S. and
other Western journalists and non-governmental organization workers – as
being
intelligence operatives or private security
personnel.
Terrorists have executed coordinated attacks with
multiple operatives using portable weaponry such as guns, grenades,
rocket-propelled
grenades (RPGs), suicide vests, and car bombs in
Peshawar, Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi. Attacks included armed
assaults
on heavily guarded sites such as the naval air
base in Karachi, the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, police offices in
Lahore and
Karachi, military installations in Lahore,
religious shrines including the Data Darbar shrine in Lahore and the
Baba Farid
Ganj Shakar shrine in southern Punjab, religious
processions in Lahore, a hospital in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and a
food
distribution center in Bajaur Agency.
Recent Attacks
There
have been several terrorist attacks in the past few years, targeting
civilians and security personnel. On September
3, 2012, unidentified terrorists attacked a U.S.
government vehicle convoy in Peshawar, injuring U.S. and Pakistani
personnel.
On April 24, 2012, an explosion at the Lahore
Railway Station killed three people and injured at least 30. On April
5, 2012,
a suicide bomber attacked a police vehicle in
the Malir Area of Karachi, not far from the airport, causing a number of
deaths.
On November 16, 2011, a vehicle driven by
suicide bombers exploded in the Defense Area of Karachi, killing the
three bombers
and two police officers. On May 20, 2011, a U.S.
Consulate General vehicle in Peshawar was attacked, killing one person
and
injuring a dozen, including two U.S. employees
of the Mission. On April 5, 2010, terrorists carried out a complex
attack on
U.S. Consulate General Peshawar, with several
Pakistani security and military personnel killed or wounded. On
February 3,
2010, ten persons, including three U.S. military
personnel, were killed and 70 injured in a suicide bombing at a new
girls'
school in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The
Governor of the Punjab province and the Federal Minister for Minority
Affairs were assassinated in Islamabad in January
and March 2011, respectively. Since the summer
of 2011, there have been hundreds of targeted killings in Karachi as a
result
of ethno-political rivalries. Targeted attacks
against government officials, tribal elders, and law enforcement
personnel
continue in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan
Provinces. Suicide bomb attacks have occurred at Islamabad
universities, schools,
rallies, places of worship, and major
marketplaces in Lahore and Peshawar.
Reports of violent religious
intolerance continue. Members of minority communities have been
victims of targeted killings
and accusations of blasphemy – a crime that
carries the death penalty in Pakistan – have been levied at Muslims and
non-Muslims
alike. Sunni extremist execution-style attacks
on Shia pilgrims in Balochistan represented a disturbing escalation of
sectarian
violence. In January 2012, more than 18 people
were killed in a bomb attack on a Shia religious procession. Foreign
nationals,
including U.S. citizens, on valid missionary
visas have encountered increased scrutiny from local authorities since
early
2011. Local authorities are generally less
responsive and might not operate with the level of professionalism that
U.S. citizens
might be accustomed to in the United States.
Travel Restrictions for Government Personnel
Government
personnel travel between the Embassy and Consulates might be restricted
based on security or other reasons. Movements
by U.S. government personnel assigned to the
Consulates General are severely restricted. U.S. officials in Islamabad
are instructed
to limit the frequency of travel and minimize
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. Depending on ongoing security
assessments,
the U.S. Mission sometimes places areas such as
hotels, markets, and restaurants off limits to official personnel. U.S.
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.
Access to many areas of Pakistan,
including the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the
Afghan border, the Swat
Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, 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
from 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
U.S.
officials. Travel to much of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Province and Balochistan is also restricted.
General Safety and Security
Since
the announcement that Osama bin Laden was killed in Abbottabad,
Pakistan on May 2, 2011, U.S. citizens should be aware
of the possible increase in the threat level
throughout the country. This might include an increased threat against
Westerners.
Rallies, demonstrations, and processions occur regularly throughout Pakistan on very short notice. Demonstrations often have
taken on an anti-U.S. or anti-Western character, and U.S. citizens are urged to avoid large gatherings.
The
Mission reiterates its advice to all U.S. citizens to take measures for
their safety and security at all times. These
measures include maintaining good situational
awareness, avoiding crowds, and keeping a low profile. The Mission
reminds
U.S. citizens that even peaceful demonstrations
might become violent and advises U.S. citizens to avoid demonstrations.
U.S.
citizens should avoid setting patterns by
varying times and routes for all required travel. U.S. citizens should
ensure that
their 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.
U.S. citizens throughout Pakistan
have also been kidnapped for ransom or for personal reasons. Reported
kidnappings include
the June 2011 kidnapping of a U.S. citizen in
Lahore while en route to his business. The U.S. citizen was released
after
his family paid a ransom. In August 2011, a U.S.
citizen in Lahore was kidnapped from his residence. Al-Qaida later
claimed
responsibility and issued a list of demands in
exchange for his release. Other incidents include the 2009 kidnapping of
a
U.S. citizen official of the United Nations High
Commission for Refugees in Balochistan. The kidnapping of Pakistani
citizens
and other foreign nationals, usually for ransom,
continues to increase nationwide.
U.S. citizens seeking services
from the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Peshawar might also
encounter harassment from
host government officials. Citing security
concerns, host government intelligence officials frequently stop U.S.
citizens
outside the Consulates and obtain their personal
information before allowing them to enter or as they are leaving. U.S.
citizens
might later be visited at their homes or offices
and questioned about the nature of their business in Pakistan and the
purpose
of their visit to the Consulate.
Entry/Exit Difficulties
U.S.
citizens throughout Pakistan have been arrested, deported, harassed,
and detained for overstaying their Pakistani visas
or for traveling to Pakistan with the
inappropriate visa classification. U.S. citizens who attempt to renew or
extend their
visas while in Pakistan have been left without
legal status for an extended period of time and subjected to harassment
or
interrogation by local authorities. Since 2011,
the number of U.S. citizens arrested, detained, and prosecuted for visa
overstays
has increased across the country.
Security
threats might, on short notice, temporarily restrict the ability of the
U.S. Missions, particularly in Peshawar,
to provide routine consular services. All U.S.
citizens are encouraged to apply for renewal of travel documents at
least
three months prior to expiration.
U.S.
citizens who travel to or remain in Pakistan despite this Travel Warning
are encouraged to enroll with the Embassy in
Islamabad or the Consulates General in Karachi,
Lahore, or Peshawar. This enrollment can be completed online through the
Department
of State's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) available on the Department of State website.
U.S. citizens without internet access should contact the nearest
Embassy or Consulate General for information on registering
in person. Enrollment enables citizens to obtain
updated information on travel and security within Pakistan via the
emergency
alert system.
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is located at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5, and can be reached by telephone at (92-51) 208-0000; Consular Section telephone
(92-51) 208-2700; and fax (92-51) 282-2632.
The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi is located at Plot 3-5 New TPX Area, Mai Kolachi Road. U.S. citizens requiring emergency assistance should call the Consular
Section in Karachi at (92-21) 3527-5000. The fax number is (92-21) 3561-2420.
The U.S. Consulate General in Lahore is located on 50 Sharah-E-Abdul Hamid Bin Badees (Old Empress Road), near Shimla Hill Rotary, and can be reached by telephone
at (92-42) 3603-4000 and fax: (92-42) 3603- 4212.
The U.S. Consulate General in Peshawar is located at 11 Hospital Road, Cantonment, and can be reached by telephone at (92-91) 526-8800 and fax: (92-91) 528-4171.
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, on 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).
For further information, U.S. citizens traveling abroad should consult the Department of State's Country Specific Information for Pakistan. Stay up to date by bookmarking our Bureau of Consular Affairs website, which contains the current Travel Warnings and Travel Alerts as well as the Worldwide Caution. Follow us on Twitter and the Bureau of Consular Affairs page on Facebook as well. You can also download our free Smart Traveler App, available through iTunes and the Android market to have travel information at your fingertips.