By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The United States has ordered all non-emergency government personnel and their dependents to leave its consulates in Pakistan’s two largest cities, citing an acute deterioration in security linked to the conflict with Iran and a wave of deadly anti-American demonstrations across the country.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the US mission in Pakistan said the Department of State had issued the directive for the consulates in Karachi and Lahore “due to safety risks”. There was no change to the status of the embassy in Islamabad, which continues to operate normally and provide consular services.
The move follows the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Iran on 28 February, which the advisory described as having created “an ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and significant disruptions to commercial flights”. Similar instructions have already been issued for US staff in Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and, most recently, Cyprus.
The order came days after weekend protests against US-Israeli strikes on Iran turned violent in several Pakistani cities. At least 23 protesters were killed in clashes across the country, according to US officials. Ten died in Karachi after demonstrators stormed the US consulate compound on 1 March and breached its outer perimeter; security personnel at the mission opened fire. Eleven more were killed in the northern city of Skardu, where a crowd set fire to a UN office, and two died in Islamabad during confrontations with police.
In Karachi, two US officials said Marines had been involved in repelling the crowd after it scaled the outer wall, an unusually direct intervention that underscored the gravity of the threat. Routine security at American diplomatic missions is normally handled by private contractors and local forces.
Protests also erupted outside the US consulate in Lahore, where police prevented demonstrators from forcing entry, and near the diplomatic enclave in Islamabad, where officers used tear gas to hold back the crowd. Roads leading to the US missions in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad have remained blocked since Sunday, with a heavy police presence.
In the aftermath, the consulates in both Karachi and Lahore suspended visa and American citizen services and cancelled all appointments. The consulate in Peshawar has also temporarily halted operations, though the embassy in Islamabad said it would continue to provide routine and emergency consular assistance, with normal services resuming there on 3 March.
A fresh US travel advisory issued alongside the evacuation order painted a broader picture of danger. It warned American citizens of the persistent risk of terrorism and violent extremism, noting that militant groups have repeatedly targeted transport hubs, markets, hotels, places of worship and government buildings. Attacks remain frequent in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, both classified as “Level 4 – Do Not Travel” regions where US consular assistance is severely limited.
Even in the major cities, US government personnel operate under strict movement restrictions, often travelling only in armoured vehicles with armed escorts. The advisory reminded citizens that protests in Pakistan require official permits and that foreigners risk detention for participating or for posting online content deemed critical of the Pakistani government or military. Internet and mobile services are frequently disrupted during demonstrations, and the overall security situation “can change rapidly”.
Americans were urged to avoid crowds, refrain from displaying valuables, monitor local media, and register with the State Department’s Smart Traveller Enrollment Program (STEP) so they can be contacted in an emergency. Travel near the Line of Control with India was separately discouraged because of the risk of armed clashes.
Copyright © 2021 Independent Pakistan | All rights reserved
