Pakistan Travel Risk Level

Reconsider travel to Pakistan due to armed conflict, terrorism, crime, and kidnapping . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Terrorism There is risk of terrorist violence, including terrorist attacks and other activity in Pakistan. Visit the U.S. Department of State's country reports on terrorism to learn more. Violent extremist groups have carried out attacks in Pakistan. Terrorist attacks typically happen in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the former FATA, but they have also occurred in major cities such as Karachi and Islamabad. Terrorists may strike without warning. They target transportation hubs, hotels, markets, malls, military and security forces sites, airports, trains, schools, hospitals, places of worship, tourist spots, and government buildings. Demonstrations Local law prohibits protesting or demonstrating without a permit. Being near a protest can draw scrutiny from Pakistani security forces. U.S. citizens have been detained for participating in protests. You can also face detention for posting content on social media viewed as critical of the Pakistani government, military, or officials. Internet and mobile phone service outages are common, especially during protests. Crime Pakistan’s security environment remains fluid. It sometimes changes without notice and can be a serious threat. There are greater security resources and infrastructure in the major cities. Security forces in these areas may be more readily able to respond to an emergency compared to other areas of the country. The most reported crimes are pickpocketing, bag-snatching, and phone theft. Limited U.S. consular assistance The Government of Pakistan restricts the travel of U.S. government personnel working in Pakistan. U.S. government employees working in Pakistan are required to use armed escorts and armored vehicles when traveling in certain parts of the country, both for official and personal travel. The U.S. government has a limited ability t

Your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Areas where FCDO advises against travel Pakistan-Afghanistan border FCDO advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province FCDO advises against all travel to these areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: Bajaur Bannu Buner Chārsadda Dera Ismail Khan Hangu Karak Khyber Kohat Kurram Lakki Marwat Upper Dir Lower Dir Mohmand Orakzai Peshawar, including the city of Peshawar Swat Tank North Waziristan Upper South Waziristan Lower South Waziristan the Karakoram Highway between Mansehra and Chilas via Battagram, Besham City, Dasu and Sazin up to the junction with the N15 the N45 Highway, from the north of the Mardan ring road, to the edge of Chitral City, including Kalash valley FCDO advises against all but essential travel to these areas in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province: Malakand Mardan Nowshera Shangla Swabi Balochistan Province FCDO advises against all travel to Balochistan Province. Pakistan-India Border Area FCDO advises against all but essential travel within 5 miles of the international border between Pakistan and India except the Grand Trunk highway to India via Wagah border (which is currently closed) and the Kartarpur Corridor for Sikh pilgrims visiting Gurdwara Darbar Sahib (currently closed for crossings). Pakistan-administered Kashmir FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Azad Jammu and Kashmir. FCDO advises against all travel to within 10 miles of the Line of Control. Sindh Province FCDO advises against all but essential travel to all areas of Sindh Province north of and including the city of Nawabshah. Punjab Province FCDO advises against all but essential travel to Dera Ghazi Khan. Find out more about why FCDO advises against travel to these regions . Demonstrations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir There are currently demonstrations in areas of Pakist