CFO to Filipinos: Avoid India-Pakistan border amid rising tension

THE Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) advised Filipinos to avoid areas near the India-Pakistan border, following India's recent missile strikes on Pakistan-administered Kashmir in retaliation for a deadly terror attack in April.

CFO Chairman Dante Ang II on Friday said there are at least 371 permanent Filipino migrants across India and 77 in Pakistan.

In a Facebook post, the CFO warned travelers and residents in Pakistan, particularly in border provinces, to steer clear of high-risk areas as tensions escalate between the two nuclear-armed nations.

"All Filipinos traveling to and within Pakistan were told to exercise caution and avoid areas near the India-Pakistan border as New Delhi mounts a missile attack in several Pakistani-administered areas in Kashmir on Wednesday," the post read.

The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi, in an earlier post, advised Filipinos to avoid travel to Bhimber City, Azad Kashmir, the Sialkot Line of Control, and anywhere within 5 miles of the India-Pakistan border.

Filipinos residing in said areas were also advised to stay indoors and monitor official updates, be vigilant, and avoid the border zones and public gathering sites.

They were likewise reminded to keep emergency supplies and important documents, including identification cards, and keep communication devices ready.

They should maintain contact with their employers and coordinators, as well as the Philippine Embassy via its Assistance-to-Nationals hotline +92 333 5244 762.

The advisory followed India's Operation Sindoor, a coordinated airstrike targeting alleged militant sites in Pakistan-administered Azad Kashmir, following an April 22 terror attack that killed 26 people in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.

India and Pakistan have fought multiple wars and skirmishes over the disputed Kashmir region.

The region has seen renewed unrest in recent years, and the current strikes mark one of the most serious escalations since the 2019 Pulwama crisis.

The CFO assured continuous close monitoring of the situation, together with the Department of Foreign Affairs.

"We have contingency plans in place, which are ready for activation," Philippine Ambassador to India Josel Ignacio said in Filipino in a radio interview on Thursday.