The US State Department said on Wednesday it would gradually close its consulate general in Peshawar, citing concerns about the safety of its diplomatic staff as well as the need to use resources more efficiently.
Here is what the statement reads
“The US State Department is announcing the gradual closure of the US Consulate General in Peshawar. Responsibility for diplomatic engagement with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will transfer to the US Embassy in Islamabad. This decision reflects our commitment to the security of our diplomatic personnel and the effective management of resources,” the department said in a statement.
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The statement added that while the physical presence in Peshawar is reduced, the US will continue to engage meaningfully with stakeholders in Pakistan to “advance the interests of the American people”.
The advisory also highlighted the risk of terrorist violence in Pakistan.
“While our physical presence in Peshawar is changing, the administration’s political priorities in Pakistan remain steadfast. We will continue to engage meaningfully with the people and leaders of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to foster economic ties, advance regional security, and advance the interests of the American people,” it said.
The ministry further said that its embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Lahore and Karachi will remain active.
The development comes after unrest in Pakistan on March 1, which followed Israeli-American strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. At least nine people died after clashes between protesters and Pakistani police near the US consulate in Karachi, Dawn News reported.
On March 3, the US State Department ordered non-essential government workers and their families to leave their consulates in Lahore and Karachi for security reasons.
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After tensions between the United States and Iran escalated on February 28, the department also warned of potential drone and missile attacks from Iran, as well as possible disruption of commercial air travel.
The advisory further highlighted the threat of terrorist activity in Pakistan, noting that violent extremist groups have carried out attacks, particularly in regions such as Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, including the former FATA areas, although incidents have also been reported in major cities such as Karachi and Islamabad.
“Terrorists can strike without warning. They target transportation hubs, hotels, marketplaces, shopping malls, military and security forces locations, airports, trains, schools, hospitals, places of worship, tourist sites and government buildings,” the US State Department said in a previous statement.
Senior cleric shot dead by ISIS gunmen in KPK
This comes after a senior cleric was shot dead in a targeted attack by Islamic State-linked militants in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Tuesday, police said, as reported by PTI.
According to officials, motorcycle-borne assailants ambushed the vehicle of Sheikh-ul-Hadith Maulana Muhammad Idrees in Utmanzai area of Charsadda district and injured two accompanying security personnel.
Idrees, a well-known and respected religious scholar in Pakistan, sustained serious injuries and died while being rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital. Two injured officers are currently undergoing treatment.
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The Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) later claimed responsibility for the attack.
Idrees also served as the Charsadda district chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and was considered a close associate of party leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
His father-in-law, Maulana Hassan Jan, a prominent religious scholar, was murdered in Peshawar in 2007 by the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) after opposing armed militancy.
President Asif Ali Zardari condemned the killing of Idrees and expressed his condolences to the bereaved family.
(With input from agencies)
