Washington, Aug 9 (ANI): The United Stated has cautioned its citizens from travelling to Pakistan, insisting that "terrorists have disguised themselves as Pakistani security personnel to gain access to targeted areas" and therefore, could prove to be harmful to Americans across the country.
Terrorists and their sympathisers regularly attack civilian, government, and foreign targets, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the State Department said, adding that the heightened security measures indicate that terrorist groups could continue to seek an opportunity to target places like shopping areas, hotels, clubs, or places of worship where foreigners often visit.
"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 Nation quoted the State Department statement, as saying.
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 added.
The State Department said access to many areas of Pakistan, including the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the Afghan border and the area adjacent to the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, is restricted by local government authorities for non-Pakistanis. (ANI)
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