US cautions nationals on travel to Pak

The US has issued a travel advisory for its citizens asking them to postpone all nonessential travel to Pakistan due to increased "terrorist violence" in the country.

The advisory, the second travel warning issued by the US State Department in less than 45 days, said Pakistan continues to experience significant terrorist violence, including sectarian attacks.

"Targeted attacks against government officials, humanitarian and non-governmental organization employees and law enforcement personnel are common," said the advisory issued on Monday. "Throughout Pakistan, foreign and indigenous terrorist groups continue to pose a danger to US citizens. Evidence suggests that some victims of terrorist activity have been targeted because they are US citizens. Terrorists and criminal groups have resorted to kidnapping for ransom," it said.

The US State Department referred to a note of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) which asked commercial airline pilots to exercise caution while flying in Pakistan, particularly at low altitude, during the arrival and departure of flights, and when on the ground, due to terror threat. The FAA said there have been several instances of militant activity that targeted airports and aircraft at low altitudes in Pakistan. In June 2014, militants attacked Jinnah International Airport in Karachi killing 30 people.

It referred to another incident in 2014 when an aircraft on approach into Peshawar's Bacha Khan International Airport was fired on by small arms, which resulted in one fatality. –IANS