VZCZCXRO8749
PP RUEHPW
DE RUEHIL #3253/01 0560801
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 250801Z FEB 06
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO AMCONSUL PESHAWAR PRIORITY 5517

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 ISLAMABAD 003253 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AMGT ASEC OTRA PK
SUBJECT: POST CLEARANCE FOR GAUTAM RANA 
 
¶1.  Post welcomes and grants post clearance for the visit of 
Gautam Rana for February 27, 2006.  The purpose of the visit 
is to attend the Avian Flu town hall meeting. 
 
¶2.  Control officer for the visit will be Mohammed Motiwala. 
He can be reached at the following numbers: Embassy: 
92-51-208-0000; Office: 92-51-208-2624; Fax: 92-51-208-2537; 
Cell: 0300-201-2202. 
 
¶3.   Visitors must/must obtain separate post clearance if 
they plan to visit any of the three Mission Pakistan 
consulates (Karachi, Peshawar, Lahore) or any other areas 
under the jurisdiction of the consulates.  Most travel 
outside of Islamabad will require separate post clearance. 
Post clearance for the consulates should be requested via 
cable to the consulate(s) on the planned itinerary. 
 
¶4. Visas: Everyone arriving in Pakistan must/must have a 
valid visa.  If you do not have a valid visa, you will be 
denied entry. 
 
If you will be in Pakistan on TDY for more than 30 days, 
ensure that you have a multiple entry visa that shows &Work 
at the U.S. Embassy8 or &Official Business8 as the purpose 
of your visit.  If your visa does not contain this language, 
your visa cannot be extended or renewed while in Pakistan and 
you will have to physically leave the country to renew or 
extend it. 
 
¶5.  Electronic Equipment:  Official travelers on temporary 
duty, including non-State personnel, must coordinate the 
transport of any USG provided electronic or photographic 
equipment (to include laptops/electronic notebooks), and 
receive RSO authorization prior to introducing the equipment 
into the Chancery.  No connectivity is allowed to State's 
unclassified or classified networks.  Personal electronic or 
 
SIPDIS 
photographic equipment as well as camera/video capable cell 
phones are not permitted in the Chancery. 
 
¶6.  Security:  Islamabad and the three constituent consulates 
in Karachi, Lahore, and Peshawar are high-threat posts. 
Employees assigned to Pakistan are unaccompanied and receive 
danger pay.  The Department of State Travel Warning for 
Pakistan asks U.S. citizens to defer non-essential travel to 
Pakistan because of the continued high security concerns 
about terrorists in Pakistan.  The Embassy approves only 
essential official travel to Pakistan.  All official visitors 
to Islamabad must adhere to Embassy security standards and 
procedures, and those staying more than one week must attend 
a security briefing held every Tuesday at 10 a.m.  TDY travel 
outside of Islamabad requires RSO clearance.  Travelers to 
the consulates must follow RSO consulate security procedures. 
 The potential for continued threats to Americans in Pakistan 
from Al-Qaida and other extremist elements remains real.  A 
car bomb damaged the U.S. consulate in Karachi in June 2002 
and killed several by-standers.  A grenade attack against the 
Protestant International Church in Islamabad killed two 
Embassy members and injured several others in March 2002. 
American, Western, and Christian targets continue to be 
threatened and attacked.  Anti-Americanism remains strong 
among certain elements of the population.  For further 
information about travel to Pakistan, U.S. citizens should 
consult the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet 
for Pakistan, available via the internet at 
http://travel.state.gov. 
 
¶7.  Hotel Security:  Security at major hotels in Pakistan has 
been generally good.  However, extremist elements know that 
westerners stay in and congregate at these hotels as evinced 
by the May 2002 car bomb attack outside the Sheraton hotel in 
Karachi that killed nearly a dozen French submarine 
engineers.  As well, an October 2004 there was a recent 
bombing in the lobby of at the Islamabad Marriott that 
injured a number of people, several seriously. 
 
¶A.  Post uses the Serena and Marriott Hotels for TDY 
visitors.  Based on our continuing review of the security 
programs at both hotels, they may continue to be used to 
house short-term (seven days or less) TDY visitors.  All 
agencies and sections that sponsor long-term TDY personnel 
(eight days or longer) must move their personnel from one 
hotel to the other after the seventh day and should consider, 
where possible, the use of guest houses, residences currently 
occupied by PCS or TDY employees of their agency or section, 
or houses rented expressly for the use of long-term TDY 
personnel. 
¶B.  The guidelines below must be followed by all short-term 
TDY personnel (seven days or less): 
--  TDY personnel should minimize the time they spend in the 
hotel lobby and adjoining areas. 
--  TDY personnel should establish a transportation schedule 
and adhere to it.  They should not congregate in the lobby 
area waiting for transportation, but should arrive in the 
lobby for pick-up approximately one minute before scheduled 
 
ISLAMABAD 00003253  002 OF 004 
 
 
departure. 
--  The Marriott Hotel has a private dining room for Embassy 
visitor use.  Buffet breakfast service will be available 
there.  TDY personnel are also encouraged to take lunch or 
dinner there, ordered directly from one of the restaurants 
located in the hotel.  There is no extra charge for this 
service.  Room service is also available at no extra charge. 
--  TDY personnel should report any security concerns 
directly and immediately to the Regional Security Office. 
 
¶C.  The Serena and the Marriott have been instructed to house 
Embassy personnel in the backside away from the main roads 
that run adjacent to the front/main entrances of the hotels. 
Also, since fire fighting is not up to U.S. standards, post 
recommends that TDY personnel stay on lower floors in the 
hotels and familiarize themselves with the emergency exits on 
theirs floors immediately after check-in.  Valuables such as 
money or jewelry should also not be left behind or hidden in 
the room. 
 
¶8.  Public Transportation: for safety reasons, Americans are 
prohibited from using taxis and all public transportation. 
The Embassy requires that official visitors use its motor 
pool. 
Emergency telephone numbers: 
 
American Embassy Islamabad        92-51-208-0000 
Marine Security Guard (24 hrs)    92-51-208-2338 
Regional Security Office          92-51-208-2203/2204 
American Consulate Karachi        92-021-568-5170 
American Consulate Peshawar       92-091-527-9801 
American Consulate Lahore         92-042-603-4000 
 
¶9.  Embassy Motor Pool Services:  Post maintains a 24-hour 
motor pool.  However, the demands on the motor pool have 
increased considerably since September 2001 and motor pool 
services may not be immediately available when you need them. 
 Accordingly, Post strongly urges all TDYers either to 
provide a fund cite in their travel orders or come with 
sufficient resources in hand for the purpose of renting a 
vehicle and driver (if necessary).  The Procurement Section 
at Post can assist TDYers with vehicle rentals.  Motor Pool 
cars and drivers are available for airport pick up and 
drop-offs.  An International Driver,s License is not valid 
in Pakistan. 
 
¶10. Health:  The Embassy Health Unit has provided the 
following information to aid visitors and temporary duty 
employees in Pakistan: 
 
¶A. Facilities:  There are health units at the embassy and 
each of the three consulates.  The Islamabad Health unit is 
staffed by a Regional Medical Officer, a Foreign Service 
Nurse Practitioner and two RNs.  It provides routine medical 
care and basic laboratory services during the workweek.  It 
does not supply medications for chronic medical conditions; 
these must be brought with you.  The facilities in Lahore, 
Karachi and Peshawar are extremely limited in the services 
they provide and are staffed by part-time local medical 
providers.  Official visitors traveling to or working at 
those locations should bring all personal medicines with them 
including over-the-counter drugs. 
 
¶B. Access: Access to the Health Units at all Mission Pakistan 
posts other than  good samaritan, care is limited to 
American citizen employees and contractors who are eligible 
for Health Unit services.  Good samaritan care is emergency 
care designed to stabilize a patient until s/he can reach or 
be reached by local medical practitioners. 
 
The following American citizen employees and contractors are 
ineligible/ineligible for Health Unit services: 
 
NON-PERSONAL SERVICES (COMMERCIAL) CONTRACTORS 
 
DIRECT HIRE EMPLOYEES PERMANENTLY ASSIGNED TO PAKISTAN 
without a current medical clearance from the Department of 
State,s Office of Medical Services (MED). 
 
TDY DIRECT HIRE EMPLOYEES ABROAD FOR MORE THAN 60 DAYS IN A 
CALENDAR YEAR without a current MED clearance. 
 
PERSONAL SERVICES CONTRACTORS (PSCs) unless all of the 
following conditions have been met: 
 
--  The PSC has a current MED clearance. 
 
--  The PSC,s contract stipulates that s/he is eligible for 
MED services and requires the individual to have health 
insurance coverage overseas. 
 
--  The employing agency is paying for medical services under 
ICASS and guarantees funding for the direct charge of local 
hospitalization and medical evacuation. 
 
ISLAMABAD 00003253  003 OF 004 
 
 
 
Agencies should review personal services contracts BEFORE the 
arrival of PSCs to determine the status of Health Unit access 
and must inform the Health Unit of eligible PSCs before they 
arrive.  PSCs must submit documentation proving eligibility 
for services to the Health Unit. 
 
The Health Unit can provide a copy of the Health Unit 
Handbook to employees and contractors who are ineligible for 
services.  The Handbook contains a list of physicians to whom 
the Health Unit refers patients and a list of acceptable 
hospital facilities and pharmacies in Islamabad, Karachi, 
Peshawar, and Lahore. 
 
¶C.  Food and Water-borne Illnesses:  Visitors to Pakistan are 
at high risk for water-borne and gastrointestinal illnesses. 
Careful attention to the choice of food and beverages helps 
to reduce the risks.  Avoid salad bars and buffets while 
eating at local restaurants; a la carte items are your safest 
bet.  Meat, eggs, and vegetables should always be thoroughly 
cooked or steamed.  Safe foods include steaming hot dishes, 
rice, pasta, cooked vegetables served hot, and bread 
products.  Foods that are moist and served at room 
temperature, especially peeled fruits, salads, sauces, 
egg-based foods, mayonnaise-based dishes and buffet offerings 
are risky.  Avoid ice cream as well. 
 
¶D.  Drinks:  Safe drinks include hot tea, coffee, and 
carbonated beverages.  Assume all tap water is contaminated 
contrary to notices occasionally posted in some hotels or 
elsewhere.  The only exception to this rule is the tap water 
on the embassy compound.  Commercially available water 
bottled in Pakistan has been found to be inconsistently safe 
for consumption.  Bottled water sold in our commissary has 
been judged safe.  Be sure the seals have not been broken. 
Remember that freezing does not make water safe, so avoid ice 
cubes unless you know they have been made from potable water. 
 Personal portable water purification systems are available 
commercially at nominal cost and can easily be transported in 
luggage as they are no larger than a tall mug.  These devices 
protect against bacteria as well as viruses and protozoa. 
 
¶E.  Malaria:  Malaria is endemic to various regions in 
Pakistan, and the risks of infection vary depending on 
location, altitude and season.  During the rainy season all 
visitors are advised to take prophylaxis, especially those 
traveling outside the major metropolitan centers or who make 
frequent trips between the consulates and Embassy. 
Mefloquine is the preferred prophylaxis and should be brought 
with you during travel as it is unavailable in country except 
at the mission health units.  Doxycycline is an alternative 
and is available in country.  In conjunction with medication, 
visitors must also take measures to reduce contact with 
mosquitoes, such as wearing clothing that covers most of the 
body and using an insect repellent containing DEET. 
 
¶F.  Immunizations:  Visitor immunization records should be 
reviewed by the Department,s Immunization Clinic prior to 
departure.  For short-term visitors the following 
immunizations are recommended: hepatitis a, hepatitis b, 
typhoid, and tetanus in addition to usual childhood 
immunizations.  The rabies series is also recommended for 
Pakistan and should be completed before arriving in country. 
The Health Unit in Islamabad can provide most vaccinations 
except smallpox, which is only available in Washington.  The 
consulate health units can provide a limited number of 
vaccinations depending on type needed and health unit 
staffing. 
 
¶G.  All TDY travelers are urged to take annual flu 
vaccination before international travel.  Vaccine will not be 
available after the current vaccination program is complete 
in November.  Tamiflu, the flu treatment drug, is not 
available in country.  If travelers wish to obtain supplies 
for travel, they will need to consult their local provider in 
the U.S. for a supply prior to travel to Pakistan. 
 
¶H.  Emergency Medical Services: Emergency medical care is 
extremely limited in Pakistan even in major cities.  The 
health units keep up-to-date lists of available facilities in 
cities in which the embassy and consulates are located. 
Travelers should arrange for medical evacuation insurance 
either personally or through their sponsoring agency prior to 
their arrival in country. 
 
¶I.  Automobile and Pedestrian Safety: Overseas automobile 
accidents remain a major cause of death of expatriates abroad 
and Pakistan is no exception.  Further, vehicles in Pakistan 
are driven on the left side of the road, which adds another 
dimension to automobile and pedestrian safety if you are not 
used to this traffic pattern.  Avoid driving at night if at 
all possible.  Use seat belts in both rear and front seats, 
and insist that your driver maintains a safe speed.  Stay 
alert crossing streets and intersections, especially after 
 
ISLAMABAD 00003253  004 OF 004 
 
 
dark. 
 
CROCKER