Washington: The US cautioned its citizens from
travelling to Pakistan on Monday, noting that the presence of
al Qaeda, Taliban elements, and indigenous militant sectarian
groups poses a potential threat to Americans throughout the
country.
Terrorists and their sympathisers regularly attack
civilian, government, and foreign targets, particularly in
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, the State Department said in
travel bulletin.
Observing that the Pakistan government has heightened
security measures, particularly in major cities, the report
said threat reporting indicates terrorist groups continue to
seek opportunities to attack locations where US citizens and
Westerners are known to congregate or visit, such as shopping
areas, hotels, clubs and restaurants, places of worship,
schools, or outdoor recreation events.
"Terrorists have disguised themselves as Pakistani
security personnel to gain access to targeted areas. Some
media reports have recently falsely identified US diplomats
and to a lesser extent US and other Western journalists and
workers for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as being
intelligence operatives or private security personnel," the
State Department said.
Visits by US government personnel to Peshawar, Karachi and
Lahore are limited, and movements by US government personnel
assigned to the Consulates General in those cities are
severely restricted, it reported.
"US officials in Islamabad are instructed to restrict the
frequency and to minimise the duration of trips to public
markets, restaurants, and other locations. Only a limited
number of official visitors are placed in hotels, and for
limited stays," the report said.
PTI
First Published: Monday, August 08, 2011, 22:44