Several European countries including Finland have issued or updated travel warnings for India and Pakistan amid escalating military tensions between the two South Asian neighbors, urging citizens to avoid high-risk areas due to an increasingly volatile security situation, reported Xinhua.
Finland on Thursday revised its travel advisory on Wednesday. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs urged citizens to avoid all travel to several parts of Pakistan, including Pakistan-administered Kashmir, and to limit non-essential travel to Punjab, the province bordering India.
"The security situation varies significantly between different parts of the countries and can change rapidly," the ministry cautioned.
That same day, Sweden's Ministry for Foreign Affairs issued a warning against all travel to Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Indian-administered Kashmir, the Jammu region of India, and areas within 10 kilometers of the shared border. The ministry noted that the advisory would remain in effect until further notice.
The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a "code red" travel advisory, warning against travel to specific regions in both countries.
"The security situation is unpredictable," the ministry said, highlighting areas near the India-Pakistan border as particularly dangerous. The advisory, now in effect, urges: "Do not travel here. It is too dangerous."
The warning follows heightened military activity, including recent Indian airstrikes on targets in Pakistan and the Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
In response to the deteriorating situation, Dutch airline KLM announced earlier this week that it would avoid flying over Pakistani airspace. The move mirrors decisions by several other international carriers, including Air France and Emirates.
In a related development, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has canceled a planned visit to the Netherlands, according to Dutch and Indian media reports. Modi was scheduled to travel to Norway, Croatia, and the Netherlands from May 13 to 17, but the trip has been called off due to the escalating situation with Pakistan.
The Dutch travel advisory comes in the wake of similar warnings issued by other European countries.
On Wednesday, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) updated its travel guidance for India and Pakistan, advising British nationals to avoid several high-risk areas, including locations within 10 kilometers of the India-Pakistan border, due to rising tensions between the two nations.
"We are continuing to monitor the situation closely. British nationals should stay up to date with our travel advice and follow the advice of local authorities," the FCDO stated.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
