Why Prince William And Kate Middleton’s Pakistan Tour Is Considered High Risk

Prince William and Kate Middleton are facing quite a roadblock for their trip to Pakistan in autumn. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wished to follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II to visit the South Asian country.

The news about the upcoming royal visit generated a huge amount of attention as the royal family hasn’t visited the country in over 13 years. However, the trip involves a huge risk potential as multiple areas in Pakistan are considered hotspots for crimes against Westerners, advised Britain’s Foreign Office.

The UK terror cops were called in to ensure that the tour will go along without any security concerns. The armed officer will shadow the two royals’ movements in case of a “potential flashpoint” that would occur while the royals are present.

This is simply one of the few high-profile security preparations for what will be known as the most high-risk royal tours in years. “There are simply so many people and so many opportunities for things to go wrong,” a source explained about the addition of an armed police team.

The concern largely lies on the interference of extremist groups such as the Taliban or ISIS, which has specialized in evading tight security to be able to kill or maim political leaders. The meticulously laid-out security plan is akin to the measures taken when Prince Charles and the Duchess Camilla were to visit the country in 2006. Unfortunately, an anti-Western backlash forced the cancelation of the planned visit to Peshawar.

The particularly security-concerning tour came at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). The team handling the security preparations are personnel from the British Embassy and will check all the routes and stopovers that the duke and duchess will take. The concrete details are kept privy from the public in order to minimize the possible terror threats that may be planned.

This comes in the advent of India’s recent move regarding the disputed region of Kashmir, a highly contested region by India and Pakistan.

“Clearly the situation arising from India’s recent revoking of the special status of the disputed region of Kashmir, which is administered by India, will be monitored closely by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office,” royal expert Richard Fitzwilliams said. “They will evaluate how events proceed.”