Warden Notices
Warden Notice 2/2009
January 5, 2009
This Warden Notice revises our Warden Message of January 2 and alerts American citizens to additional safety concerns during the upcoming Muharram holidays.
Islamabad
American citizens should avoid the G/6 Sector in Islamabad, which contains the Aabpara Market, the Red Mosque and Shi'a places of worship, where demonstrations are known to occur. On Wednesday, January 7, there will be two processions in the G/6 Sector from noon until 10:00 p.m.
On Thursday, January 8, there will be a large procession in Rawalpindi from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. It will start at the "Colonel Maqbool Imam Bargah" (Shiite) on College Road and stop at the "Qadeemi Imam Bargah" (Shiite) on Jamia Masjid Road. Travel near these areas in Rawalpindi should be avoided during this time.
Finally, during the Muharram holidays there will be processions in cities and towns throughout Pakistan. Travel to outlying towns, such as Murree and Taxila, during this holiday period is discouraged as travel to these areas may involve crossing procession routes.
Lahore
In Lahore, American citizens are advised to avoid the following locations:
- The Old (Walled) City;
- Lower Mall Road;
- New and Old Anarali;
- Allama Iqbal Road towards Dharampura;
- Model Town; and
- The area between the Mughal Pura Bridge and the Wagah Border.
On Tuesday, January 6, there will be a procession from Mustafabaad to Bohar Wala Chowk via Allama Iqbal Road that will return back to Mustafabaad via the same route from approximately 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
A second procession is planned from Batapur to Darogha Wala via the main GT Road and back via the same route from approximately 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
There will also be a procession from Islampura to Nalagumbad from approximately 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
On Wednesday, January 7, there will be a procession to Game Shah from Islampura via the Civil Secretariat, Nala Gumbad, Anarkali, Lohari Bhatte and the Lower Mall from approximately 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
On Thursday, January 8, there will be a procession from Islampura to Game Shah via the Civil Secretariat, the Lower Mall, Akbari Mandi, Lohari Bhatte, and Rang Mahal from approximately 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
We remind American citizens that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn confrontational and possibly escalate into violence. American citizens are therefore urged to avoid the areas of demonstrations if possible, and to exercise caution if within the vicinity of any demonstrations.
The Embassy reiterates its advice to all Americans to take appropriate individual precautions to ensure their safety and security at all times. These measures include maintaining good situational awareness, avoiding crowds and demonstrations and keeping a low profile. Americans should avoid setting patterns by varying times and routes for all required travel. Americans should ensure that their travel documents and visas are valid at all times.
American citizens are encouraged to register with the nearest Embassy or Consulate.
Contact information follows for all four posts in Pakistan:
The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is located at Diplomatic Enclave, Ramna 5; telephone (92-51) 208-0000; Consular Section telephone (92-51) 208-2700; fax (92-51) 282-2632, website http://islamabad.usembassy.gov
The U.S. Consulate General in Karachi, located at 8 Abdullah Haroon Road, closed its public operations indefinitely due to security concerns. U.S. citizens requiring emergency assistance should call the consular section in Karachi. Their telephone is (92-21) 520-4200 (after hours: 92-21-520-4400; fax 92-21-568-0496, website http://karachi.usconsulate.gov
The U.S. Consulate in Lahore is located at 50- Sharah-E-Abdul Hameed Bin Badees, (Old Empress Road) near Shimla Hill Rotary, telephone (92-42) 603-4000 or 603-4250, fax (92-42) 603-4200, website http://lahore.usconsulate.gov Email address: acslahore@state.gov
The U.S. Consulate in Peshawar is located at 11 Hospital Road, Cantonment, Peshawar; telephone (92-91) 526-8000; fax (92-91) 527-6712, website http://peshawar.usconsulate.gov/
For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov/ where the Worldwide Caution http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html and the Pakistan Country Specific Information http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_992.html and Travel Warning can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).