UN, Britain to evacuate kids from Pakistan

The spokesman said the “core work of the High Commission will not be affected. The UK is committed to maintaining its strong relationship with Pakistan, especially at this difficult time.”

At present, Britain advises its citizens to avoid all non-essential travel to Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar, and cautions against using international hotels popular with Westerners.

British Airways halted its six weekly flights to Islamabad just days after the Marriott attack on September 20.

Security has been tightened in Islamabad since the blast, with concrete barriers and police roadblocks creating a so-called “red zone” around government buildings and the city’s diplomatic area.

But the measures have not been enough to convince many diplomats, with further attacks feared. Other foreign embassies in the capital are considering whether to pull out children, diplomatic sources said.

Pakistani officials say they suspect Al-Qaeda was behind the Marriott bomb and the extremist group’s deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in April described the UN as an “enemy of Islam and Muslims.”