SINGAPORE: Singaporeans are advised to defer all non-essential travel to Pakistan and India amid escalated tensions between both countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Wednesday (Feb 27).
Singaporeans who are already in India or Pakistan should take all necessary precautions to ensure their personal safety, MFA added in its statement.
Advertisement Earlier on Wednesday, India and Pakistan both said they had shot down each other's fighter jets over disputed Kashmir. Both countries lay claim to Kashmir, but only control parts of it.
The incidents are the latest in a dangerous sequence of events between the two nuclear-armed countries, whose ties have been under intense strain since a Feb 14 suicide bombing in Indian Kashmir that killed 40 troops.
[h=3]READ: Singapore Airlines, Scoot flights affected by closure of Pakistan airspace, Indian airports[/h]MFA said: "Singapore notes with deep concern the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pulwama attack on Feb 14. We call on both parties to ensure the safety of all civilians.
Advertisement Advertisement “Singaporeans should defer all non-essential travel to Jammu and Kashmir in India, and to Pakistan. Travellers should also exercise precaution in other areas, especially the border regions between Pakistan and India, given the uncertain security situation.”
New Delhi, Mumbai and the border districts of Kutch, Banaskantha, and Patan in Gujarat have been placed on high alert, according to MFA.
[h=3]READ: Commercial flights to and from Pakistan, India disrupted as tensions rise[/h]MFA also noted reports of airport closures and flight cancellations in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in various Indian states including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand.
The Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority has also closed its airspace to all commercial flights, and there are reports of flight cancellations across the country.
Singaporeans who are already in India and Pakistan are advised to “stay vigilant, monitor developments through the local news, and heed the instructions of the local authorities”, MFA said.
“Do stay in touch with your family and friends in Singapore so that they know you are safe,” the ministry added.
Those who need consular assistance in either countries can contact the following:
Singapore High Commission in New Delhi, India
Address: E-6 Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi 110021
Tel: +91 11 4600 0800 / +91 98102 03595
Email: [email protected]
Singapore Honorary Consulate-General in Karachi, Pakistan
Address: Lakson Square Building No. 2, Sarwar Shaheed Road, Karachi
Tel: +92 21 3568 6419 / +92 21 3568 5308
Email: [email protected]
24-hour MFA Duty Office
Tel: +65 6379 8800 / +65 6379 8855
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