The United States on Wednesday tightened its noose around Pakistan by issuing a new travel advisory for its citizens to 'reconsider travel' to the country, placing it at Level 3 of its four point safety ranking system.
Amid straining ties with Pakistan, the United States cited 'terrorism' and 'increased risk' as the reason behind the move. It also advised its countrymen to not travel to Balochistan province, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Federally Administered Tribal Areas among others.
This comes days after the United States blocked USD 255 million military aid to Pakistan and suspension of security assistance, amid nosediving relations between the two countries.
As per the latest safety ranking system of the United States, Level 1 advises travellers to exercise normal precaution, while Level 4, which has countries like Afghanistan, recommends "Do Not Travel".
"Will issue an overall travel advisory level for every country, levels of advice may vary for specific locations or areas within a country" the state department said. It further stated "improvements will provide US citizens with clear, timely, and reliable safety and security information worldwide"
Meanwhile, India has been kept at Level 2, which pertains to 'exercising increased caution'.
Countries have been issuing travel advisories for its citizens time and again, considering the present global scenario. Now every country has a travel advisory based on this system, which has replaced all the previous such advisories.
