Security Alert – U. S. Embassy Islamabad (March 22, 2018)
Location: Local authorities will close roads in the Islamabad area in advance of Pakistan Day celebrations. The Islamabad Highway will be closed to large trucks as of 12:01 a.m. on March 23 (i.e., just after midnight of March 22). Beginning at 5:00 a.m. or earlier on March 23, the highway will be closed to all traffic. In addition, beginning in the evening of March 22, the Islamabad Expressway will be closed between Zero Point, the Faizabad intersection, and the airport. On March 23, Margalla Road and Constitution Avenue may experience intermittent closures.
Event: Pakistan Day is a national public holiday held every year on March 23 to commemorate the Lahore Resolution of 1940. Government operations, including a military parade, will significantly affect traffic and security in Islamabad on March 22 and 23. Cellular service will likely be disrupted from the early morning until the afternoon of March 23.
Actions to Take:
- Avoid affected roads and unnecessary travel.
- Consider allowing more time to reach destinations, such as the airport, which require travel through affected roads.
Assistance:
- U.S. Embassy Islamabad, Pakistan
+(92)(51) 201-4000
- U.S. Consulate General Karachi
+(92)(21) 3527 5000
ACSKarachi@state.gov
- U.S. Consulate General Lahore
+(92) (42) 3603 4000
- U.S. Consulate Peshawar
- +(92) (91) 526 8800
- State Department– Consular Affairs
888-407-4747 or 202-501-4444
- Pakistan Country Information
- Enroll in Safe Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
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