US warns citizens against travelling to Pakistan amid terrorism, armed conflict

The United States has warned its citizens against travelling to Pakistan advising them to reconsider due “to terrorism and the potential for armed conflict” in the country.

The United States Department issued an advisory, saying that violent extremist groups continue to plot attacks in Pakistan especially in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“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.

The State Department’s advisory prohibited government personnel on assignment in Pakistan from attending most large gatherings.

Pakistan’s security environment remains fluid, sometimes changing with little or no notice.

There are greater security resources and infrastructure in the major cities, particularly Islamabad, and security forces in these areas may be more readily able to respond to an emergency compared to other areas of the country,“ the advisory read.

Earlier, sources revealed to Reuters that a new travel ban by US President Donald Trump could bar people from Pakistan and Afghanistan from entering the US as soon based on a government review of countries’ security and vetting risks.

There are some 200,000 Afghans who have been approved for U.S. resettlement or have pending US refugee and Special Immigrant Visa applications.

Approximately 20,000 Afghans are stranded in Pakistan alone - as well as from 90 other countries - since January 20, when Trump ordered a 90-day freeze on refugee admissions and foreign aid that funds their flights.