Pakistan Added to List of ‘Too Dangerous to Travel’ Countries by UK Foreign Office: The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) of the United Kingdom has recently updated its list of countries deemed “too dangerous” for UK citizens to travel, as reported by Geo News. Pakistan is among the eight newly added countries, bringing the total number of banned destinations to 24.
The FCDO’s alert encompasses various concerns affecting visitor safety, including crime, war, terrorism, disease, weather conditions, and natural disasters, according to Geo News, citing the Manchester Evening News. The newly added countries are predominantly involved in conflicts, including Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Iran, Sudan, Lebanon, Belarus, and the Palestinian territories.
The blacklisted countries, including Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Haiti, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Niger, North Korea, Somalia, Somaliland, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, and Yemen, are to be avoided due to safety risks.
Furthermore, the FCDO has issued a red list, indicating regions where travel should be avoided “unless absolutely essential.” The advice cautions UK travelers to refrain from visiting the blacklisted countries or those on the red list.
In 2023, Pakistan experienced 1,524 violence-related fatalities and 1,463 injuries from 789 terror attacks and counter-terror operations, as reported by Dawn. The country witnessed an escalation in violence for the third consecutive year, with fatalities reaching a six-year high, surpassing levels seen in 2018 and marking the highest since 2017.
The surge in violence underscores the safety concerns prompting the UK Foreign Office’s decision to add Pakistan to the list of countries deemed unsafe for travel. As such, UK citizens are advised to exercise caution and avoid travel to Pakistan until the situation improves.
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