The United States Mission in Pakistan has issued a security alert for Faisal Mosque in Islamabad, cautioning its employees to avoid the area until further notice based on a social media post.
“Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants have issued threats against Faisal mosque, in Islamabad. The U.S. Embassy Regional Security Office has prohibited U.S. employee travel to the Faisal Mosque area until further notice,” the alert issued by the US Mission on Wednesday said.
The page describes the event that led to the advisory as a ‘threat video’. The video being seemingly referred to included a small piece of paper that had drawn the Taliban flag by hand, with the words ‘Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan’ written underneath in Urdu. The Faisal Mosque can be seen in the background of the video.
US citizens have been advised to ‘Avoid the area around the Faisal Mosque, exercise caution and leave the area if you find yourself unexpectedly in the vicinity of a large gathering or demonstration, review your personal security plan, monitor local media for updates, keep a low profile and be aware of your surroundings, carry identification and cooperate with authorities and review the Country Security Report for Pakistan.’
Speaking to Khabar Kada on the condition of anonymity, a security official said that the US Mission should have thoroughly checked the threat and discussed it with government officials before issuing the alert.
“A highly irresponsible and unwarranted act by US embassy to have such press releases and threat alerts based on a social media post. In today’s era of social media, there are abundance of mischievous acts, fake news, and false hoax which need a thorough check and supervision,” the officials said.
“Unfortunately, the US embassy has totally fallen short on these aspects and have shared an unwarranted threat alert,” the former official said.
Faisal Mosque is the largest mosque in Islamabad and hosts large congregations, particularly on Friday. It is also one of the most identifiable landmarks in the capital and is a popular tourist site.
The previous such alert was issued on November 27, 2024 when US citizens were told ‘to avoid the Serena Hotel Peshawar’.
However, in that instance, the advisory said that the alert was issued on the basis of ‘security information’ received by the US Mission instead of simply a social media post.
The advisory comes at a time when Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is in Pakistan on a two-day visit to discuss trade, security and bilateral relations. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and will include high-level meetings and the signing of several agreements.
