Friday, July 1 2005 15:55 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Britain today (July 1, 2005) said it will review its latest travel advisory which claimed that tensions "remain high" in Kashmir and forewarned its nationals against undertaking visit to the border State in the wake of ongoing militant violence.

"We are going to review the travel advisory," British High Commissioner Michael Arthur told reporters in New Delhi.

During his trip to London last week, External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh had raised the issue with his counterpart Jack Straw and asked the British Government to revise the adverse travel note.

Singh had pointed out that an estimated 7,000 foreign tourists were currently in areas like Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg in J & K. Straw had assured him that this demand would be looked into "sympathetically".

The advisory listed the terror attacks in Srinagar, Pulwama and near the prime tourist spot of Nishat Gardens in May and June, which had taken a heavy toll and warned, "Further attacks are possible".

It said that despite increased promotion of Kashmir as a tourist centre and improved relations between India and Pakistan, "tensions remain high in Kashmir".

Arthur said his Government has tightly defined legal responsibility to give "objective advice" to its citizens on inherent dangers before travelling to such places.

Arthur clarified that the advisory was applicable only to certain parts of Kashmir. "My wife was in Ladakh this morning," Arthur said to drive home his point.

The advisory makes the exceptions for those wishing to travel to Ladakh via Manali or by air to Leh.

The British Government has advised its nationals against all travel in the vicinity of the border with Pakistan and the Line of Control with the exception of Amritsar and Jaisalmer and for those travelling overland to Pakistan through the Wagah border crossing.