TRAVEL WARNING - PAKISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 084892

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: CASC PTER ASEC PK
SUBJECT: TRAVEL WARNING - PAKISTAN


1. This Travel Warning updates information on security
incidents and reminds U.S. citizens of ongoing security
concerns in Pakistan. This Travel Warning supersedes the
Travel Warning dated September 21, 2007.

2. The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens
against non-essential travel to Pakistan in light of the
threat of terrorist activity.

3. The presence of Al-Qaida, Taliban elements and
indigenous sectarian groups poses a potential danger to
American citizens, especially in the western border
regions. Continuing tensions in the Middle East also
increase the possibility of violence against Westerners in
Pakistan. Terrorists and their sympathizers have
demonstrated their willingness and capability to attack
targets where Americans are known to congregate or visit,
such as hotels, clubs and restaurants, places of worship,
schools, or outdoor recreation events. In March 2008, a
restaurant frequented by westerners in Islamabad was
bombed, killing one patron and seriously injuring several
others, including four American diplomats. On March 2,
2006, an American diplomat, his locally employed driver,
and three others were killed when a suicide bomber
detonated a car packed with explosives in front of the U.S.
Consulate General in Karachi. Fifty-two others were
wounded.

4. Sectarian and extremist violence has resulted in fatal
bomb attacks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Peshawar,
Quetta, Lahore, and other Pakistani cities in 2006, 2007
and 2008. Since 2007, over 1,000 bombings have killed more
than 1,000 people throughout Pakistan and injured many
more. Some of the attacks have occurred outside major
hotels, in market areas and other locations frequented by
Americans. Other recent targets have included restaurants,
Pakistani government officials and buildings, and
international NGOs.


5. Rallies, demonstrations, and processions occur regularly
throughout Pakistan on very short notice. In the aftermath
of the December 2007 death of former Prime Minister Benazir
Bhutto, widespread rioting in Karachi led to multiple
deaths and injuries as well as widespread property damage.
Demonstrations have often taken on an anti-American or
anti-western character, and Americans are urged to avoid
large gatherings.


6. In 2007 and 2008, several American citizens throughout
Pakistan were kidnapped for ransom or for personal reasons.
Kidnappings for ransom are common in some parts of
Pakistan, such as the Northwest Frontier Province and Sindh
Province.

7. U.S. citizens who travel to or remain in Pakistan
despite this Travel Warning are encouraged to register with
the Embassy in Islamabad or the Consulates in Karachi,
Lahore, or Peshawar. This registration can be completed
online through the Department of State's travel
registration website:
https://travelregistration.state.gov. Alternatively,
Americans without Internet access should contact the
nearest Embassy or Consulate for information on registering
in person. Registration enables citizens to obtain updated
information on travel and security within Pakistan via the
emergency alert system (warden network).

8. Americans in country should take appropriate individual
precautions to ensure their safety and security. These
measures include maintaining good situational awareness,
avoiding crowds and demonstrations and keeping a low
profile. Americans should avoid setting patterns by varying
times and routes for all required travel. Americans should
ensure that their travel documents and visas are valid at
all times. Official Americans are required to restrict
their use of public transportation or personal vehicles in

STATE 00084892 002 OF 002


response to security concerns.

9. Many areas of Pakistan, such as the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghan border
and the area adjacent to the Line of Control (LOC) in the
disputed territory of Kashmir, are restricted for non-
Pakistanis. Travel to any restricted region requires
official permission by the Government of Pakistan. Failure
to obtain such permission in advance can result in arrest
and detention by Pakistani authorities.

10. The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is located at Diplomatic
Enclave, Ramna 5; telephone: (92-51) 208-0000; Consular
Section telephone: (92-51) 208-2700; fax: (92-51) 282-2632;
website: http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/.

11. The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, located at 8
Abdullah Haroon Road, closed its public operations
indefinitely due to security concerns. U.S. citizens
requiring emergency assistance should call the Consular
Section in Karachi; telephone: (92-21) 520-4200 or (92-21)
520-4400 after hours; fax: (92-21) 568-0496; website:
http://karachi.usconsulate.gov/.

12. The U.S. Consulate in Lahore is located on 50 Sharah-E-
Abdul Hamid Bin Badees (Old Empress Road),near Shimla Hill
Rotary; tel:(92-42)603-4000 or (91-92)603-4250; fax: (92-
42) 603-4200; website: http://lahore.usconsulate.gov;
email: amconsul@brain.net.pk.

13. The U.S. Consulate in Peshawar is located at 11
Hospital Road, Cantonment, Peshawar; telephone: (92-91)
526-8800; fax: (92-91) 528-4171; website:
http://Peshawar.usconsulate.gov.

14. For the latest security information, Americans
traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's
Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the
Worldwide Caution and the Pakistan Country Specific
Information and Travel Warning can be found. 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, 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).


15. Minimize considered.
RICE