WASHINGTON: The United States has asked its citizens not to travel to Indian occupied Jammu and Kashmir, due to the risk of “terrorism and civil unrest”.

In a new travel advisory issued this week, the US State Department also urged citizens to exercise “increased caution” while travelling to other places in India due to “crime and terrorism”.

The State Department, in a similar advisory about Pakistan, asked its citizens to reconsider their travel especially in restive provinces due to terrorism and sectarian violence. But the advisory for Pakistan does not mention Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

“Do not travel to: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest. Within 10km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict,” the advisory on India said.

The advisory includes a country-summary on India, pointing out that “Indian authorities report rape as one of the fastest growing crimes”. Violent crime, such as sexual assault, has occurred at tourist sites and in other locations.

“Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, and government facilities.”

The advisory reminds citizens that “the US government has limited ability to provide emergency services to US citizens in rural areas from eastern Maharashtra and northern Telangana through western West Bengal as US government employees must obtain special authorisation to travel to these areas”.

The advisory on India calls the occupied Jammu and Kashmir “Union Territory,” which is how the Indian government describes the illegally annexed areas since Aug 5, 2019.

Earlier this month, US Ambassador to Pakistan Donald Blome visited Muzaffarabad and referred to the region as ‘Azad Jammu and Kashmir,” eliciting a formal protest from New Delhi.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2022

Opinion

Editorial

Electable politics
Updated 04 Dec, 2023

Electable politics

With the PTI still on the wrong side of the political equation, the prospects will be bright for whoever takes the lead.
War of narratives
04 Dec, 2023

War of narratives

MILITARILY, there is no match between the Israeli war machine, and the defenceless people of Gaza. On one side is a...
Returns on deposits
04 Dec, 2023

Returns on deposits

DESPITE the deceleration of deposit mobilisation, bank deposits have jumped to a record high of Rs25.6tr in FY23. ...
Promises, promises
Updated 03 Dec, 2023

Promises, promises

The climate crisis transcends national borders and political agendas, demanding a unified, decisive response.
PCB’s strange decision
03 Dec, 2023

PCB’s strange decision

THE Pakistan Cricket Board’s decision-making and the way it is being run has become a joke. A day after appointing...
Resettling Afghans
03 Dec, 2023

Resettling Afghans

FOR two years now, since the Afghan Taliban took Kabul, thousands of Afghans in Pakistan who had worked for Western...