‘Don’t travel to LoC’: US issues fresh advisory for Pakistan, cites ‘terrorism’

It also urged its citizens to avoid travelling to “the immediate vicinity of the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control due to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.” The advisory said that “militant groups are known to operate in the area.”

“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 Atari, India,” it added.

“Large-scale terrorist attacks have resulted in numerous casualties, and small-scale attacks are frequent. Terrorism and ongoing violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian, as well as local military and police targets,” the statement stated.

The statement further added that while major cities like Islamabad, Lahore, and Karachi have relatively better security, US citizens are advised to exercise extreme caution in regions such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where extremist groups remain active highlighting the recent incidents, which have demonstrated the potential for violence in any part of the country.

In its latest advisory, the US has kept Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and FATA areas as well as areas in the vicinity of Line of Control in the Level 4 category.

“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. Terrorists have targeted US diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past,” the statement read.

The US government has limited ability to provide consular services in many areas of Pakistan, especially outside major cities. Travelers have been urged to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security alerts and make it easier to locate them in case of an emergency.