According to the advisory, American citizens have been advised against traveling to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, and the immediate vicinity of the Pakistan-India border.
“Terrorist groups continue to plot attacks in Pakistan. Terrorism and ongoing violence by extremist elements have led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian, 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 locations, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and government facilities. Terrorists have targeted U.S. diplomats and diplomatic facilities in the past,” the advisory said in a travel advisory for Americans traveling to Pakistan.
“Terrorist attacks continue across Pakistan, with most occurring in Balochistan and KP, including the former FATA. Large-scale terrorist attacks have resulted in numerous casualties,” the state department said.
“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. While threats still exist, terrorist attacks occur less frequently in major urban areas than in other parts of Pakistan,” the advisory stated.
“The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in Pakistan due to the security environment. Travel by U.S. government personnel within Pakistan is restricted, and additional restrictions on movements by U.S. government personnel outside of U.S. diplomatic facilities may occur at any time, depending on local circumstances and security conditions, which can change suddenly,” the advisory read.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has determined Pakistan has a low level of COVID-19, the advisory stated.