Pakistan |
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| Still current at: 02 March 2013
Updated: 23 January 2013 |
| No restrictions in this travel advice | Avoid all but essential travel to part(s) of country | Avoid all but essential travel to whole country | Avoid all travel to part(s) of country | Avoid all travel to whole country |
This advice has been reviewed and reissued with amendments to the Travel Summary (removal of advice relating to protests on 14-17 January). The overall level of this advice has not changed. We advise against all travel to specific regions of Pakistan and against all but essential travel to other specific regions of Pakistan.
(see travel advice legal disclaimer)
Travel advice for this country
- Travel Summary
- Safety and security
- Local laws and customs
- Entry requirements
- Health
- Natural disasters
- General
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There is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan. See
Terrorism & sectarian violence.
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The Pakistani authorities are also concerned about the threat to foreigners of kidnapping.
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There have been media reports of terrorist threats to Islamabad.
As a result of these reported threats we would advise caution and
vigilance in all major cities of Pakistan, whilst maintaining a low
profile and avoiding large gatherings and crowds.
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The media has reported that the Tehrik e Taliban Pakistan (TTP)
has issued threats against media outlets across Pakistan. The Pakistani
authorities have stated that they will increase security to media
offices. You should remain vigilant and aware of the high threat from
terrorism.
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We advise against all travel to the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas, and much of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the areas of
Peshawar, Charsadda, Kohat, Tank, Bannu, Lakki and Dera Ismail Khan. We
advise against travel to the city of Peshawar and districts south of the
city. The Pakistani military is conducting ongoing operations against
militants across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Federally Administered
Tribal Areas (FATA). See Local travel - Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
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We advise against all travel to Swat, Buner, and Lower Dir,
including travel on the Peshawar to Chitral road via the Lowari Pass. In
these areas there are ongoing reports of military or militant activity.
Localised curfews may be imposed at short notice.
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We advise against all but essential travel to the Kalesh Valley,
the Bamoboret Valley and Arandu District to the south and west of
Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. These areas have seen an increase in
militant activity recently which has included abductions, violent armed
robbery and murder.
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We advise against all travel to Northern and Western Balochistan
and against all but essential travel to Quetta. See Local Travel - Balochistan.
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We advise against all but essential travel to Nawabshah in Sindh
Province, and to parts of Interior Sindh to the north of Nawabshah. See
Safety and Security - Local Travel - Sindh.
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If you are intending to travel to Pakistan, even if you are a
regular visitor with family links, you should follow the developing
situation in the news media and consult FCO Travel Advice regularly. You
should also register with the British High Commission and take out
comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.
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Around 270,000 British nationals visit Pakistan every year (Source: Ministry of Tourism). Most visits were trouble-free. See
Consular assistance statistics.
There is a high threat from terrorism and sectarian violence throughout Pakistan. Attacks could be indiscriminate including at places frequented by expatriates and foreign travellers. Methods of attack have included grenades, shootings, bombings and suicide bombs. You are advised to remain vigilant and to carry identification at all times for use at police checkpoints. Keep a low profile and vary your routes and timings if you make any regular journeys between locations.
While there is a high threat from terrorism throughout Pakistan, areas of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa suffer particularly frequent terrorist attacks with a high rate of casualties. We advise against all travel to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and much of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the areas of Peshawar, Charsadda, Kohat, Tank, Bannu, Lakki and Dera Ismail Khan. Terrorist attacks against a range of targets in the city of Peshawar are particularly common. We advise against all travel to Peshawar and districts south of the city.
Pakistani government personnel and institutions, and security forces are prime targets for attacks. Militants have the capability to launch complex and deadly attacks, for example, in July 2012 an attack on a police training facility in Lahore killed at least 9 policemen, and at least 10 soldiers were killed in May 2011 during a major attack against a Pakistan Naval base in Karachi. Public institutions have also been targeted; in November 2011 at least four people were killed when gunmen opened fire outside a district court in Rawalpindi. You should be aware of the danger of being caught up in an attack and, unless essential, you should avoid key government installations and gatherings of uniformed personnel.
Religious sites and minority religious sects are frequently targeted, including shrines and places of worship. For example, in August 2011 a suicide bomber attacked a mosque in Jamrud town, near Peshawar, at least 43 people were killed and more than 115 injured. You are advised to avoid religious events or gatherings and to limit movements on Friday afternoons.
Public places have been targeted, particularly if they are associated with representatives of the Pakistani authorities or activities that could be considered by militants to be un-Islamic. Think carefully before visiting such locations and exercise caution. You should avoid ‘western’ fast-food outlets. Previous incidents have included a bomb attack in the I-8 Markaz commercial area of Islamabad in June 2011 and, in April 2012, an explosion at the Lahore Railway Station killed 3 people and injured at least 30. Educational institutions, public markets, hotels, restaurants, and CD/DVD shops and barber shops have previously been targeted. Exercise caution on public transport and in all public places including hotels, airports, markets, religious shrines and restaurants.
Public demonstrations and civil disorder are common. Protests often occur with little warning and, whilst the majority remain peaceful, they can turn violent quickly. Avoid getting caught up in demonstrations or large crowds of people and public events. Take care if you are planning to attend sporting venues and events or live music venues.
Kidnap
You should be alert to the threat of kidnapping throughout Pakistan. Kidnappings can be for financial or political gain, and can be motivated by criminality or terrorism. British nationals of Pakistani origin are at particular risk of kidnap for ransom.
A British national kidnapped in Quetta on 5 January 2012 was murdered by his kidnappers in late April 2012. Other recent cases include an American citizen kidnapped in the city of Lahore in August 2011 who remains captive, two Swiss nationals kidnapped in south-western Baluchistan in July 2011 who were subsequently released, a British-Pakistani boy kidnapped in Jhelum, Punjab in March 2010 who was also released, and a British-Pakistani journalist kidnapped in South Waziristan in April 2010 who was released.
British nationals should be aware that the long-standing policy of the British Government is not to make substantive concessions to hostage takers. The British Government considers that paying ransoms and releasing prisoners increases the risk of further hostage taking.
Be aware of the risk of street crime and take personal security measures. Take particular care to safeguard your passport, bankcards, bags, jewellery, laptops and mobiles, especially when using public transport including when travelling to and from the airport and when walking in crowded areas including markets. There is an active black market in forged and stolen passports. Credit card fraud is common.
British nationals of Pakistani origin have been targeted by criminals as they are often perceived as being wealthier than locals.
We advise visitors to avoid using street taxis and where possible to use only those from reputable companies which are radio-controlled.
Much of Balochistan, rural Sind and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, including the Federally Administered Tribal Areas and Agencies, have a high incidence of lawlessness.
Local travel
In October 2008 the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed diplomatic missions in Islamabad that "all foreigners, including diplomats, may not move out of their city of residence without proper security and prior co-ordination with the law enforcement agency with regard to their move or visit." No steps have been taken by the Pakistani authorities to implement this requirement.
If you have to travel to any of the regions listed below, you or your travel agent should contact the authorities in advance. They may arrange police protection as necessary and will advise whether you need a No Objection Certificate issued by the Pakistani Ministry of Interior.
You should seek updates on the local security situation from local police, or travel agencies before you travel.
Border areas
Except for official border crossing points, the authorities prohibit travel by foreigners within 10 miles of Pakistan’s international borders and the Kashmir Line of Control and within 30 miles of the Afghan border in Gilgit-Baltistan.
Local travel - Federally Administered Tribal Areas
We advise against all travel to the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The seven Agencies comprising the FATA are Khyber, Kurram, Bajaur, Mohmand, Orakzai and North and South Waziristan.
Local travel - Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P)
There is a heightened risk from kidnapping and militant activity across K-P. There are regular terrorist attacks in and around Peshawar targeting, for example, official premises and personnel, schools, markets and businesses considered to be un-Islamic by militants, particularly against CD/DVD shops. We advise against all travel to the districts of Peshawar, Kohat, Tank, Banu, Lakki, Charsadda, Hangu, Karak and Dera Ismail Khan.
We advise against all travel to Swat, Buner, Malakand, Nowshera, Swabi and Lower Dir, including travel on the Peshawar to Chitral road via the Lowari Pass. In these areas there are ongoing reports of military or militant activity. There are ongoing military operations against militants in Swat and Buner. Localised curfews may be imposed at short notice.
We advise against all but essential travel to the Kalesh Valley, the Bamoboret Valley and Arandu District to the south and west of Chitral in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. These areas have seen an increase in militant activity recently which has included abductions, violent armed robbery and murder.
Local travel - Karakoram Highway
We advise against travel on the KKH between Islamabad and Gilgit; if travelling between Gilgit and Islamabad, we advise arriving and departing by air.
All sections of the KKH north of Batagram up to the Chinese border have experienced landslides.
You are advised to travel in daylight hours, as the road can be narrow with sudden precipitous drops (also see Road Travel section below).
Local travel - Gilgit-Baltistan (Formerly known as Northern Areas)
There have been sporadic outbursts of sectarian violence in Gilgit.
All foreign nationals are required to register when visiting Gilgit-Baltistan. This can be arranged by your travel agent. A permit from the Pakistan Ministry of Tourism is often needed for mountaineering or trekking, in particular for mountains over 6000 metres. Ensure that you have the necessary permissions. The process can take up to two months and is best organised through one of the numerous tour companies based in Pakistan. Travel insurance policies may be affected without the appropriate permits from the Pakistan authorities.
If trekking you are strongly advised to use reputable trekking agencies, to remain on established routes, and to always walk in groups. We strongly recommend that you do not trek alone and that you avoid becoming separated from your group at any time.
Remember: altitude can and does kill. To avoid acute mountain sickness ascend slowly and acclimatise fully. Take professional advice.
Local travel - Balochistan
Local travel - Sindh (including Karachi)
There is a high threat of violence in Karachi. The city is vulnerable to serious violent ethnic conflict between the Urdu and Pashtun communities. Criminal violence is also common including; armed carjacking, robbery, kidnap and murder. The city is plagued with target killings, drug trafficking, arms smugglers, land mafia and remains at high risk of political violence. These activities are seen city wide but particularly in the districts of Lyari and Orangi. Periodic strikes called by various religious and political parties as a result of the unabated target killings cripple the city and regularly produce violent civil unrest. There also remains a threat of further terrorist attacks in Karachi. In Karachi, you should avoid the area around the US Consulate buildings in Saddar Town.
As a consequence, it is difficult to predict the safety of daily activity in the city and any proposed movement within the city boundaries should be carefully planned with due consideration for all those threats listed.
FCO staff working outside of Karachi are not permitted to travel there except on official business. We advise our staff working in Karachi to avoid western fast food outlets and other areas of increased risk such as restaurants, markets, shopping centres, religious processions and shrines. Staff travel around the city is subject to strict security measures and movements on foot are not allowed.
There is a very high risk from crime and kidnapping in Interior Sindh. We advise against all but essential travel to Nawabshah and to parts of interior Sindh to the north of Nawabshah. There are reports of increased criminality in Hyderabad.
Local travel - Islamabad
Public protests are common in Islamabad. You are reminded to avoid protests or large public gatherings.
In line with the safety and security advice in this travel advice, we advise our staff to avoid Aabpara and Melody markets and the area around the Lal-Masjid Mosque in Sector G/6 due to frequent large gatherings and demonstrations, and sectors G7 to G10 due to high crime rates. We also advise staff to avoid visiting western fast food outlets, sports venues and events, live music venues and Christian religious services outside the diplomatic enclave.
Local travel - Punjab
Travellers to Southern Punjab should take advice about the local security situation in advance of their visit. Reports of general criminality and public order incidents remain high in southern Punjab.
Local travel - Pakistan Administered Kashmir
This area has remained largely trouble free. Visitors should ensure that they have the necessary permissions to travel. Specific requirements can change and visitors are advised to check the latest requirements before travelling to Kashmir. A No Objection Certificate is always required for foreign nationals to travel within 10 miles of the Line of Control or to enter Kashmir via Muzaffarabad.
Local travel - Rail travel
We advise against using the railway network, which has been subject to frequent attacks.
Nationalist militants have planted bombs on the rail network in Balochistan and Sind. There have also been a number of derailments.
Road travel
When driving, it is advisable to lock all doors and keep the windows up. Use well-travelled, well-lit routes where possible. We recommend you do not purchase anything from street vendors or have contact with beggars while travelling by car.
Air travel
On Friday 20 April 2012 a Bhoja Air passenger plane crashed on approach to Islamabad airport killing all 127 people on board.
Since 1 September 2006, all passengers on domestic flights must present one of the following forms of photo ID at check-in: National Identity card (computerised), passport, driving licence, photo credit card, or school ID card (for children under the age of 18). This must be an original document, and must bear the same name as on your ticket.
