Pakistan

Compliance/Financial Considerations

If you intend to do any of the following in Pakistan, please contact Risk Services at risk@berkeley.edu or 642-5141:

  • Hire a local to work for you as an employee
  • Purchase or lease office or research space
  • Purchase or lease an automobile
  • Establish a long-term (over 90 days) or ongoing project
  • Conduct a clinical trial

U.S. GOVERNMENT COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS

Foreign activities may trigger many U.S. laws, including:

  • Import Controls
  • Export Controls
  • Tax Reporting
  • Foreign Bank Account Reporting
  • Country Embargoes and Targeted Sanctions
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
  • Anti-Boycott Laws

Import Controls. UC employees must adhere to U.S. import requirements, and may need to enlist the services of a customs broker, especially for shipments arriving by sea and subject to the Importer Security Filing 71730, also known as ISF 10+2.

Export Controls. Export controls may apply to advanced software and technology, research data, and other sensitive assets. UC’s Export Compliance FAQ contains useful information and can be found here.  Go here for the University of California plan for compliance with federal export controls. If you plan on taking or sending potentially export-controlled materials to Pakistan, consult the campus Research Administration Compliance Office at 642-0120.

Tax Reporting. The University and its employees may be taxed in foreign countries. The tax implications for operating in Pakistan may be found at the Internal Revenue Service’s United States-Pakistan Income Tax Convention For further clarification, contact the Controller’s Office at:

Foreign Bank Account Reporting. The U.S. Treasury Department requires U.S. citizens with a financial interest in or signatory authority over a financial account in a foreign country, where accounts exceed $10,000 at any point during a calendar year, to report such accounts on a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FinCen Report 114). Those needing to complete the form should contact the Controller’s Office at cashiers@berkeley.edu or 643-9803 for assistance. An IRS 1040 Schedule B form (Part III–Foreign Accounts and Trusts) must be filed by the signatory for any foreign bank account, regardless of the account balance.

Country Embargoes and Targeted Sanctions. In general, collaborations between University personnel and scholars at foreign institutions or organizations do not require export licenses unless they involve export-controlled or -restricted research or involve scholars in sanctioned countries. Before engaging in an international collaboration, the University needs to determine whether export licenses are required and to verify that the foreign collaborator is not blocked or sanctioned. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is responsible for enforcing all U.S. embargoes and sanctions. Depending on each country’s embargo or sanction program, activities may be prohibited without specific authorization or license. UC’s International Collaborations webpage contains additional information on this topic.   

The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) is intended to stop bribery. It prohibits offering to pay, paying, promising to pay, or authorizing the payment of money or anything of value to a foreign official. The term “foreign official” generally includes any employee or contractor of a foreign government, and may include individuals employed by foreign universities. It is also unlawful to make a payment to a third party knowing that all or part of the payment will go to a foreign official. For more information, review the federal government’s Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.  If you need further clarification, contact the UC Berkeley Office of Legal Affairs at 642-7122. Transparency International’s 2018 survey of perceived public sector corruption rated Pakistan at 33 out of 100 (117th out of 180 countries reviewed, i.e.  corrupt).

Anti-Boycott Laws.  The U.S. Department of Commerce is responsible for oversight of laws prohibiting individuals and entities from participating in boycotts not approved or sanctioned by the U.S. government. The Export Administration Act requires that requests to participate in such boycotts or to conduct activities in any of the boycotting countries be formally reported to the Department of Commerce and/or IRS.

For other compliance-related issues, refer to UC’s International Compliance webpage.  

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR DOING BUSINESS INTERNATIONALLY

Foreign Bank Accounts. Employees wishing to open a foreign bank account should contact the Controller’s Office at cashiers@berkeley.edu or 643-9803. Requests to open accounts must be made through the Office of the President’s Banking and Treasury Services Group by the Chancellor or the Chancellor’s designee. 

Real Estate Agreements. Only employees with delegated authority to sign contracts on behalf of The Regents may enter into agreements, leases, or other contracts.  Foreign affiliates or operations must submit to the Real Estate Services Office property management agreements, personal property leases, or contracts with a term longer than one year or in an amount greater than $25,000 per year. The campus then seeks approval from the University president or designee. For more information, consult the Guidelines for the Establishment and Operation of Foreign Affiliate Organizations and Foreign Operations.

Articles

The US State Department's page on PAKISTAN may be found HERE.

Personal Safety

PAKISTAN AUTHORITIES ARE ENHANCING NATIONWIDE RESTRICTIONS AMID AN INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS DISEASE (COVID-19) ACTIVITY. AUTHORITIES HAVE INTENSIFIED ENFORCEMENT OF SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES AND THE WEARING OF FACEMASKS IN PUBLIC; VIOLATORS MAY BE SUBJECT TO FINES AND ARRESTS. SEVERAL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE IMPLEMENTING TIGHTER RESTRICTIONS. AUTHORITIES HAVE PERMITTED THE RESUMPTION OF INTERNATIONAL PASSENGER FLIGHT OPERATIONS AT ALL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY.  HOWEVER, FLIGHTS REMAIN LIMITED DUE TO LOW DEMAND AND TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED BY FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS ON PAKISTANI CITIZENS AND AIR CARRIERS. ALL ENTRANTS MUST ALSO SUBMIT A HEALTH DECLARATION FORM ONLINE OR VIA THE "PASS TRACK" MOBILE APPLICATION WITHIN 48 HOURS BEFORE ARRIVAL IN PAKISTAN; THEY CAN ACCESS THESE DOCUMENTS THROUGH THE PAKISTAN GOVERNMENT COVID-19 PORTAL. AIRLINE OR AIRPORT OFFICIALS WILL ALSO PROVIDE PASSENGERS AN ADDITIONAL HEALTH SCREENING FROM TO SUBMIT UPON LANDING.  ALL INCOMING TRAVELERS TO THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING PAKISTANI NATIONALS, MUST SELF ISOLATE FOR TWO WEEKS IF THEY HAVE NO COVID-19 SYMPTOMS. SYMPTOMATIC PASSENGERS ARE MANDATED TO UNDERGO TESTING AND A 14 DAY QUARANTINE AT HOME, ACCOMMODATION, OR A MEDICAL FACILITY, BASED ON HEALTH ASSESSMENTS.

THE U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT ISSUED A TRAVEL ADVISORY (updated January 10, 2018) ASKING TRAVELERS TO RECONSIDER GOING TO PAKISTAN DUE TO TERRORISM AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ARMED CONFLICT IN SOME AREAS. TRAVELERS TO PAKISTAN SHOULD READ THE ENTIRE TRAVEL WARNING BEFORE DEPARTURE AND TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO ASSURE THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY.

Note: this page contains basic risk information. For more details, please contact the Risk Services Office at risk@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail).

If you are traveling to Pakistan on University-related business, please sign up for the University’s travel insurance program by going here(link is external). For more information on the travel insurance program, please go here.

Because everyone’s health is unique, we suggest seeking the advice of a medical professional before traveling internationally. Members of the campus community interested in protecting their health while abroad may schedule an appointment with the University Health Services International Travel Clinic(link is external).

The quality of health care is poor in many parts of Pakistan, but is usually better in urban areas. Sterilization procedures tend to be substandard; a World Health Organization study found that that as many as 70 percent of injections at Pakistani healthcare facilities are not sterile. Brand-name medications are generally available at pharmacies associated with major hospitals in large cities. There is no standard ambulance service, but in some cities you can dial 115 to get one. Sick and injured travelers may need to evacuate from Pakistan and seek care in a more developed location. The Department of State maintains this list(link is external) of medical providers in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, although it does not vouch for the quality of care. In Peshawar, the Rehman Medical Institute employs many physicians trained in the United States or United Kingdom and fluent in English.

Air pollution can be a problem in urban areas. Particulate pollution is especially bad. If you have a chronic respiratory condition such as asthma, please consult a medical professional prior to your trip and carry appropriate medications.

Travelers should assume the drinking water is contaminated with untreated sewage, pesticides, or industrial waste. To reduce the risk of gastrointestinal discomfort or illness, drink bottled, boiled, or purified water only. Travelers should use well-recognized brands of bottled water whenever possible.

Street vendors and other unregulated food distributors often maintain substandard hygiene regimens and should be avoided. Travelers should also avoid raw or undercooked meat dishes and unpasteurized dairy products, which frequently harbor bacterial and parasitic pathogens.

Travelers risk contracting a number of serious illnesses in Pakistan, including:

  • Tuberculosis. The World Health Organization considers Pakistan a high-risk country for tuberculosis. Travelers staying for an extended time should get a pre-departure PPD skin test. Avoid crowded public spaces and mass transportation whenever possible.
  • Malaria, transmitted via mosquito bites, countrywide and year-round.
  • Japanese encephalitis, transmitted via mosquito bites, occurs mainly from June to January in the central deltas, although cases near Karachi have also been reported. Avoid prolonged stays in rural areas.
  • Dengue fever, transmitted via mosquito bites during daylight hours, countrywide and year-round.
  • Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic Fever, transmitted by tick bites or tissue from other infected individuals, is most prevalent from September to December and has a 30 percent death rate. It occurs mostly in Balochistan Province, Islamabad, Peshawar, and Quetta. Ticks carrying the disease have also been found in the Changa-Manga forest and the Galgit Agency.
  • Polio, which has not been eradicated in regions bordering Afghanistan in the North West Frontier Province, southern Punjab, and northern Sindh.
  • West Nile Virus, countrywide and most frequently from May to September.
  • Sandfly Fever, countrywide and most frequently from April to October.

Crime is a serious risk in Pakistan. Poverty and unemployment contribute to high levels of street crime. Westerners are advised not to travel alone, especially on foot, and to avoid back streets and bazaars in major cities. Avoid public transportation. Whenever possible, use a private car with a professional driver who knows the territory. Overland travel outside cities is inadvisable, especially after dark, as armed bandits operate in many regions. National security forces maintain a limited presence in the countryside, and the local police are often poorly trained and corrupt. Travelers within Pakistan are strongly encouraged to leave an itinerary with a trusted person and to check in regularly.

Terrorist groups continue plotting possible attacks in Pakistan. Terrorists may attack with little or no warning, targeting tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, military and government installations, airports, universities, tourist locations, schools, hospitals, places of worship, and local government facilities. Suicide and roadside bombings occur in the rural areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, and are becoming more common in major cities, especially Quetta and Karachi. Terrorists sometimes target educational institutions; in January 2016, an attack on Bacha Khan University(link is external) in Charsadda killed 22 people. Religious and political leaders regularly blame Western governments for drone strikes or attacks on Islam, which can incite local populations. 

If you intend to visit any of these regions, please contact Risk Services as soon as possible: Balochistan, border areas (except official crossings), Kashmir, northern areas of the country (including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and the Federally Administered Tribal Areas), rural areas of Sindh Province, and tribal areas near the Afghan border.

Legal/Political

Criminal Penalties: You are subject to local laws. If you violate local laws, even unknowingly, you may be expelled, arrested, or imprisoned. The U.S. government may not act to circumvent local authorities or advocate for particular outcomes on behalf of private individuals. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates cannot offer “safe haven.”

Furthermore, some laws are also prosecutable in the United States, regardless of local law. 

It is illegal to take pictures of certain buildings or structures, particularly sensitive places like military installations, cantonments, and nuclear sites, but the law on this subject is vague and applied inconsistently.

Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs could land you immediately in jail and result in severe penalties.

Penalties for possession, use, or trafficking in illegal drugs in Pakistan are severe, and convicted offenders can expect long jail sentences in local prisons, heavy fines, and sometimes even the death penalty.

Arrest Notification: If you are arrested or detained, ask police or prison officials to notify the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate immediately to ensure we are aware of your circumstances and can provide assistance. See our webpage for further information. Pakistani law enforcement authorities will typically not notify the U.S. Embassy or Consulates if a foreign citizen is arrested or detained, unless you request they do so. Pakistan’s regulations governing the travel of foreign diplomats and the procedures for gaining access to arrested individuals have delayed consular access in the past. In some cases, a consular officer may not be able to visit due to security-related travel restrictions.

LGBTI Travelers: Same-sex sexual conduct is a criminal offense in Pakistan. While the government rarely prosecutes cases, society generally shuns lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) persons, and violence and discrimination against LGBTI persons occur frequently.

The penalty for same-sex relations is a fine, imprisonment (sentences ranging from two years to life imprisonment), or both. No laws protect against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, and LGBTI persons rarely reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity.