The United States has announced plans to permanently close its consulate in Peshawar, according to a report published by The Independent.
The British publication reported that the consulate is the United States closest diplomatic mission to the Afghan border and served as a key operations and logistics point during the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.
The US State Department has notified Congress of its intention to close the consulate, saying the move will save approximately $7.5 million annually without undermining the advancement of US national interests in Pakistan.
According to The Independent, the decision has been under consideration for more than a year. It began during the Trump administration’s effort to reduce the size of nearly all federal agencies and is not connected to the current conflict involving Iran.
The joint US–Israeli war against Iran, which began on February 28, sparked protests in several Pakistani cities. Following an incident in which 11 people were killed, the US Consulate in Karachi temporarily suspended operations.
According to the notification, the State Department will spend $3 million to shut down the Peshawar consulate. More than half of that amount will be used to relocate armored trailers that had served as temporary office spaces.
The remaining funds will cover the transfer of equipment and furniture, as well as the consulate’s motor pool fleet, to the US Embassy in Islamabad and the US consulates in Karachi and Lahore.
Earlier this month, the State Department ordered non-emergency personnel at American consulates in Karachi and Lahore, along with their families, to leave Pakistan because of security concerns.
In a later travel advisory, the US mission said the consulate in Peshawar had temporarily suspended operations.
