The United States (US) State Department has instructed non-emergency personnel and their families at its consulates in Karachi and Lahore to leave Pakistan.

 

“The Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of US government personnel from US Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks,” the US Mission in Pakistan said in a statement on Wednesday. 

 

The advisory clarified that operations at the US Embassy in Islamabad remain unchanged.

 

While Pakistan also hosts a US consulate in Peshawar, the advisory did not mention its status.

 

It merits a mention that the directive follows a deadly protest outside the US Consulate in Karachi, and violent clashes between pro-Iran protesters and law enforcement outside the Lahore consulate.

 

On March 1, 11 people were killed and dozens injured when demonstrators stormed the US Consulate in Karachi to protest US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

 

Two US officials reported that Marines opened fire when protesters breached the consulate’s outer wall.

 

While security operations at US missions in Pakistan are typically handled by private contractors and local law enforcement, the deployment of Marines during the Karachi incident highlights the level of threat assessed by the consulate.

 

While reports of violence were also received from Islamabad the same day, protesters in Lahore attempted to enter the US Consulate, but police were able to contain the crowd.

 

Following the events, the US Mission noted that the consulate in Peshawar had temporarily suspended operations. “The US Embassy in Islamabad will continue to provide all routine or emergency consular services for US citizens,” the statement added, noting that normal operations were set to resume on March 3.

 

In Karachi, roads leading to the consulate have been blocked, with a heavy police presence, a measure mirrored at US missions in Lahore and Islamabad.

 

While all appointments for US visas and American Citizen Services stand cancelled, similar instructions have also been issued for US personnel in several countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Cyprus, according to posts by the State Department on X.