TRAVEL WARNING: PAKISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 STATE 061205

SIPDIS

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


1. The Department of State warns U.S. citizens against
non-essential travel to Pakistan in light of the threat
of terrorist activity. This replaces the Travel Warning
dated February 25, 2009, updates information on security
incidents and reminds U.S. citizens of ongoing security
concerns in Pakistan.


2. Pakistani military forces are currently engaged in a
campaign against extremist elements across many areas of
the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and parts
of the Northwest Frontier Province, including the Swat
Valley. In response to this campaign, militants have
vowed to step up attacks against both civilian and
government targets in Pakistan's cities.


3. The presence of Al-Qaida, Taliban elements, and
indigenous militant sectarian groups poses a potential
danger to American citizens throughout Pakistan,
especially in the western border regions of the country.
Continuing tensions in the Middle East also increase the
possibility of violence against Westerners. Terrorists
and their sympathizers have successfully attacked
civilian and government targets. The Pakistan government
has heightened security measures, particularly in the
major cities. Threat reporting indicates terrorist
groups continue to seek opportunities to attack locations
where Americans and Westerners are known to congregate or
visit, such as shopping areas, hotels, clubs and
restaurants, places of worship, schools, or outdoor
recreation events.


4. Visits by U.S. government personnel to Peshawar and
Karachi are limited and movements by U.S. government
personnel assigned to the Consulates in those cities are
severely restricted. American officials in Lahore and
Islamabad are instructed to restrict the frequency and to
minimize the duration of trips to public markets,
restaurants, and other locations. Only a limited number
of official visitors are placed in hotels, for limited
stays. Depending on ongoing security assessments, the
U.S. Embassy places areas such as hotels, markets, and/or
restaurants off limits to official personnel. American
citizens in Pakistan are strongly urged to avoid hotels
that do not apply stringent security measures and to
maintain good situational awareness, particularly when
visiting locations frequented by Westerners.


5. On November 12, 2008, an American government
contractor and his driver in Peshawar were shot and
killed in their car. In September 2008, over fifty
people, including three Americans, were killed and
hundreds were injured when a suicide bomber set off a
truck filled with explosives outside a major
international hotel in Islamabad. In August 2008, gunmen
stopped and shot at the vehicle of an American diplomat
in Peshawar. 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, a Consulate employee, and three others were
killed when a suicide bomber detonated a car packed with
explosives alongside the U.S. Consulate General in
Karachi. Fifty-two others were wounded.


6. Extremist and sectarian violence has resulted in
fatal bomb attacks in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi,
Peshawar, Quetta, Lahore, and other Pakistani cities in
2008 and 2009. According to media reports, in the last
14 months, there have been more than 1,800 incidents of
terrorism across the country resulting in more than 1,300
deaths and scores of injuries. Some of the attacks have

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occurred outside major hotels, in market areas and other
locations frequented by Americans. Other recent targets
have included restaurants, Pakistani government officials
and buildings, police and security forces, mosques, and
international NGOs. Since late 2007, occasional rockets
have targeted areas in and around Peshawar.


7. Since 2007, several American citizens throughout
Pakistan have been kidnapped for ransom or for personal
reasons. Kidnappings of foreigners are particularly
common in the Northwest Frontier Province (NWFP) and
Baluchistan. In 2008, one Iranian and two Afghan
diplomats, two Chinese engineers, and a Polish engineer
were kidnapped in NWFP. In February 2009, an American
UNHCR official was kidnapped in Baluchistan. Kidnappings
of Pakistanis also increased dramatically across the
country, usually for ransom.


8. Access to many areas of Pakistan, including the FATA
along the Afghan border, and the area adjacent to the
Line of Control (LOC) in the disputed territory of
Kashmir, is restricted by local government authorities
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. Due to security concerns the U.S.
Government currently allows only essential travel within
the FATA by American officials. Travel to much of the
Northwest Frontier Province and Balochistan is also restricted.


9. 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.


10. 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. 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).


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


12. Security threats may on short notice
temporarily restrict the ability of U.S. Missions,
particularly in Peshawar, to provide routine consular
services. All American citizens are encouraged to apply
for renewal of travel documents at least three months prior to
expiration.


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


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The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi is located at 8
Abdullah Haroon Road; telephone: (92-21) 520-4200 or (92-
21) 520-4400 for after hours emergency assistance; fax:
(92-21) 568-0496; website:
http://karachi.usconsulate.gov.

The U.S. Consulate in Lahore is located on 50 Sharah-E-
Abdul Hamid Bin Badees (Old Empress Road),near Shimla
Hill Rotary; telephone: (92-42) 603-4000, including after
hours emergency assistance; fax: (92-42) 603-4200;
website: http://lahore.usconsulate.gov.

The U.S. Consulate in Peshawar is located at 11 Hospital
Road, Cantonment, Peshawar; telephone: (92-91) 526-8800,
including after hours emergency assistance; 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 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.
CLINTON