New Zealanders urged to avoid travel to India, Pakistan

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is urging greater caution by New Zealanders planning to travel to Pakistan or India.

The ministry's travel advisory has been reviewed and now advises against all but essential business travel to India, and against all travel to Jammu, Kashmir and border areas with Pakistan.

The two nuclear-weapons capable countries have disputed the border territory of Kashmir for many years.

Tensions have risen markedly recently, and the two countries have more than one million troops stationed on the Kashmiri border.

"New Zealanders in India who have concerns about their security should consider leaving," the ministry said in a statement.

"Those who choose to stay in India should not travel to border areas with Pakistan and should avoid all travel to Jammu and Pakistan."

New Zealanders were advised to exercise a high level of personal security awareness and keep well informed of developments that could affect their safety.

The ministry warned against all but essential travel to Pakistan following a suicide bombing in Karachi last month -- an explosion which saw the touring New Zealand cricket team immediately return home.

- NZPA