Peshawar (TDI): The United States has announced plans to permanently close its consulate in Peshawar, according to a report by The Independent on Thursday.
The consulate has historically served as a key operations and logistics hub, particularly during the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. The US State Department has notified Congress of its intention to shut the facility, citing annual savings of $7.5 million without compromising the advancement of US national interests in Pakistan.
A copy of the notification detailed that over $3 million would be spent to close the consulate. More than half of the funds will cover the relocation of armoured trailers previously used as temporary office space, while the remainder will finance moving equipment, furniture, and the consulate’s motor pool fleet to the US Embassy in Islamabad, as well as the US consulates in Karachi and Lahore.
The Independent noted that the closure plan has been under consideration for over a year, originating during the Trump administration’s downsizing of federal agencies. The report emphasized that the decision is unrelated to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran, which began on February 28 and has triggered protests in Pakistani cities, including an incident at the US Consulate in Karachi where 11 people were killed.
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Because of its strategic location, the Peshawar consulate had served as a key point for overland travel into Afghanistan and as a contact center for American citizens in northwestern Pakistan, as well as Afghan nationals seeking US assistance. Following the closure, consular services for Americans and others will be handled by the US Embassy in Islamabad, located about 184 kilometres away.
The notification stressed that the closure will not impede the US mission’s ability to advance core national interests, assist US citizens, or oversee foreign assistance programs, which will continue to operate from the Islamabad Embassy.
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Earlier this month, the US State Department directed non-emergency personnel and their families at the consulates in Karachi and Lahore to leave Pakistan due to security concerns. The Peshawar consulate had also temporarily suspended operations in response to ongoing protests.
