The United States has issued a ‘Level 3’ travel advisory for Pakistan, asking Americans to “reconsider travel” to the country.
The advisory was issued by the US Embassy in Islamabad, and cited an “armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and kidnapping” as the reasons for the precautionary measure. However, it said that there had been no alterations “to the advisory level or risk indicators” for Pakistan, except for the changes in operations of US missions in the country.
This came a week after US issued an advisory, asking its citizens in Pakistan to remain alert and keep a low profile.
The embassy stated that the Department of State had ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of the US government personnel from US consulates in Lahore and Karachi “to leave Pakistan due to safety risks.” It reiterated that there was no change to the status of the US Embassy in Islamabad.
Why the advisory? What else does it state?
The advisory had asked American nationals to “not travel to” the Balochistan Province in Pakistan “due to terrorism”, and also avoid travelling to the “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, including the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), due to terrorism and kidnapping.”
It has also asked US citizens to not get in the vicinity of the Line of Control owing to “terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.”
This comes amid border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as well as protests near the US embassies in the country in the aftermath of the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes.
Conflict once again erupted between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with the neighbouring countries exchanging fire at dozens of points along their border on Friday, Reuters reported.
56 Afghan civilians, nearly half of them children, have been killed in the confrontation, said United Nations rights chief Volker Turk. Pakistan said it has ruled out talks with Afghanistan until “terrorism…ends”, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, US Embassies in Pakistan have been alert, with the mission in Islamabad cancelling all visa appointments through Friday owing to Iranian protests. The same applied for US Consulates General in Lahore and Karachi.
At least ten people were killed in Karachi and two in Islamabad amid protests against the killing of Khamenei. Pakistani law enforcement had to resort to teargas shelling and baton-charge to bring the situation under control.
