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| India-Pakistan |
| 120 foreign tourists evacuated from Gilgit, Pakistan by PAF C-130 |
| 2012-04-10 |
| According to AFP, the northern Pakistani town of Gilgit has been under an indefinite curfew since April 3, when at least 14 people were killed and over 50 wounded in two separate incidents involving sectarian violence between opposing Sunni and minority Shia communities. As a result, an estimated 120 foreigners including Chinese, German, Japanese, Korean and Thai tourists (including 77 Japanese), were evacuated from Gilgit in a C-130 that was flown up to Gilgit to pick them up and return them to Islamabad. What the hell were they thinking? I'm genuinely curious to know. What is there to see in Gilgit? Why would anyone go there when there are so many other places in the world? Clashes erupted in the northern town on April 3 after gunmen opened fire during a strike called by Sunnis over the arrest of a leader for his alleged involvement in a sectarian attack in February that left 18 dead. Five people also died in the April 3 incident. Also on April 3 in Chilas, a Sunni-dominated town about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Gilgit, a mob blocked the main Karakoram Highway and killed nine Shia Muslims. COMMENT: Perhaps it is time for a reality check for the tourists described above, who seemingly believe that Pakistan is now among the world's top ten tourist destinations. From all indications many of these tourists have not been keeping up on current events as they relate to Pakistan, as demonstrated by the assassination of Chinese tourist Hua Jiang, 40, in Peshewar by a faction of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TPP) and the kidnapping of several foreigners over the last year. |
| Posted by:gromky |
| #5 Gilgit-Baltistan is a very scenic place. Look it up on the net. Here is Travel Info for Gilgit. They are surrounded by the Karakorum mountains. And, you can take a 100 km tour of Hunza valley, made famous by James Hi1ton's novel. Right near the Chinese border. Sounds like a cool place, except for the islamic nutcases running amok. |
| Posted by: Alaska Paul 2012-04-10 21:17 |
| #4 Why is a C-130 picking up foreign tourists? |
| Posted by: Mizzou Mafia 2012-04-10 17:56 |
| #3 Nah, lots of Chinese travel. Pakistan's on the border, you know. |
| Posted by: gromky 2012-04-10 04:56 |
| #2 I have a feeling the Chinese "tourists" are engineers, technicians, and farmers who are actually there working. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2012-04-10 04:44 |
| #1 If you are American and want to travel, Please look at the State Department website first - and also, do not play in hostile countries. There are people who will hole you up and kill you. Do not put our Embassies and Military personnel in more danger by having to find your stupid ass and do not expect to not find a bill afterwards. This is where your ignorance of the world must continue. There is too much time fishing out people from world ghettos when they are making a ghetto of their own. Why are such nasty places so enticing for you fools anyway? If I hear of one more hiking trip on any border.... |
| Posted by: newc 2012-04-10 02:05 |