US limits official visits to Karachi hotels after threat report

Police stand guard outside a poling station during Pakistan’s national elections in Karachi on February 8, 2024. (AFP/File)
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Updated 01 August 2025
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US limits official visits to Karachi hotels after threat report

  • Security alert urges caution at venues popular with Western citizens, tourists in Karachi
  • State Department’s current travel advisory urges citizens to reconsider visiting Pakistan

KARACHI: The United States has temporarily limited visits by government personnel to high-end hotels in Karachi, Pakistan, after receiving a report of a threat, the State Department said on Friday.

“The US Consulate General Karachi received a report of a threat directed at high-end hotels in Karachi,” the department said in a security alert.

“The US Consulate General in Karachi has temporarily limited visits by official US government personnel to these hotels.”

The State Department said it sometimes declares areas in foreign countries such as tourist attractions, hotels, markets, shopping malls and restaurants off-limits to official US government personnel in response to such threats.

The security alert urges people to avoid the areas and crowds, keep a low profile and to stay alert in places frequented by tourists and citizens of Western countries.

The State Department currently has a travel advisory in place for Pakistan that advises US citizens to reconsider traveling there due to the risk of terrorism and the potential for armed conflict.


Pakistan shuts key motorway routes as dense fog envelopes Punjab

Updated 20 min 17 sec ago
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Pakistan shuts key motorway routes as dense fog envelopes Punjab

  • Authorities close major routes as reduced visibility threatens to trigger accidents on motorway
  • Air quality of Lahore, Punjab’s provincial capital, recorded at alarming 322 AQI by IQAir index

LAHORE: Dense fog blanketed major motorways in Pakistan’s Punjab province on Tuesday (December 16), prompting authorities to shut down several key routes due to severely reduced visibility and heightened accident risks. 

Lahore’s air quality was recorded at an alarming 322 AQI at 6 AM (0100 GMT), earning the dubious title of the world’s most polluted city.

Frustration mounted among stranded commuters, with Mohammad Naeem venting, “We’ve been waiting since 6 AM. The buses are ready, but we haven’t been allowed to board, and we’re not being informed.”

Fellow passenger Hafiz Safar Abbas echoed his sentiment. “The public is uncertain. If the weather clears, the motorways should reopen immediately,” he said

Government authorities are monitoring the situation, working to reopen the motorways once conditions improve, while travelers are urged to stay patient and informed.