America has issued a travel advisory for India and Pakistan. Terrorism and sectarian violence have been cited by the US in the advisory. The US administration has asked its citizens to reconsider traveling to Pakistan, apart from asking those traveling to India to exercise caution, citing crime and terrorism as the reason.
The US State Department has issued an advisory to India urging US citizens not to travel within 10 kilometers of the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir due to terrorist threats and civil discontent and fears of armed conflict.
The advisory has said that rape is one of the fastest growing crimes in India. Violent crimes such as sexual harassment have also come to the fore in tourist places and other places.
The advisory said that the US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas of western West Bengal, eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana because of special permission for US government employees to travel to these areas.
In an advisory issued to Pakistan visitors and officials, the State Department urged US citizens not to travel to Balochistan province and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province, which includes the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), citing the threat of terrorist attacks and kidnappings. Along with this, due to the possibility of armed conflict, it has also been asked not to go to the areas around the Line of Control.
“Terrorist organizations are still planning attacks in Pakistan. Local history of terrorism and ideological aspirations of violence by extremist elements has led to indiscriminate attacks on civilian as well as local military and police targets. Terrorists can attack transport bases, markets, malls, military institutions, schools, hospitals, airports, universities, tourist places, religious places and government institutions with little or no warning”, the advisory says.
The advisory issued for Pakistan said that terrorists have also targeted American diplomatic and diplomatic institutions in the past.