Pakistan hails US easing of travel advisory due to ‘improved’ security

F.P. Report

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has welcomed the recent change in the United States’ travel advisory for Pakistan due to an improvement in the security situation, according to the Foreign Office on Saturday.

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Aisha Farooqui hailed the move as a “step in the right direction”.

On the official Twitter account of the ministry’s spokesperson, the diplomat said that the US has “acknowledged that ‘Pakistan’s security situation has improved’”.

The recent travel advisory from the US cautions travellers not to go to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, along with the Line of Control (LoC), while putting the rest of the country at Level 3.

“Pakistan’s security environment has improved since 2014 when Pakistani security forces undertook concerted counter-terrorist and counter militant operations,” stated the travel advisory.

The FO acknowledged the move, stating: “Pakistan has made resolute efforts to enhance security throughout the country. Significant improvement in the security environment has led the United Nations to re-designate Islamabad as a family station for its personnel.”

The official statement further said that the United Kingdom also acknowledged the efforts of Pakistan and had revised its travel advisory.

“The positive decisions by Portugal and Norway with regard to their Travel Advisories for Pakistan also reflect the confidence of these European Governments in Pakistan’s security environment,” it stated.

The FO expressed hope that the improved security situation will also lead to opportunities for enhanced economic activity and foreign direct investment in Pakistan.

“With Pakistan’s liberal visa regime and conducive environment for tourism, we are confident that larger number of tourists from all over the world would be travelling to Pakistan. People of Pakistan are ready to welcome foreign tourists in the country,” said the FO.