The US State Department has announced the permanent closure of its consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan, which has served as America’s nearest diplomatic mission to the Afghan border and was a key operations and logistics hub before, during, and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.
This week, the department informed Congress of its decision to shut down the consulate, stating that it would result in an annual savings of $7.5 million.
The department further ensured that US national interests in Pakistan would not be negatively impacted.
It is important to note that the decision has been under review for over a year, following the Trump administration’s initiative to downsize nearly all federal agencies.
US State Department to issue $3 million for closure of Peshawar consulate
According to the notice dated Tuesday, the Peshawar consulate employs 18 American diplomats and other government staff, along with 89 local employees, and the department plans to allocate $3 million for the closure process.
Out of this amount, $1.8 million is set aside for relocating armored trailers that have been used as temporary office space.
The remaining funds will be used for transferring the consulate’s motor pool fleet, as well as electronic and telecommunications equipment, and office furniture to the US Embassy in Islamabad and the other consulates located in Karachi and Lahore, as indicated in the notice.
Protestors storm US consulate in Karachi after Khamenei’s death
In early March, protests erupted outside the United States Consulate following the circulation of reports regarding the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, allegedly executed by the US and Israel.
A significant number of demonstrators assembled near the consulate, voicing their outrage and chanting slogans in response to the reported incident.
As tensions grew, law enforcement deployed tear gas and discharged warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd and avert the situation from escalating further.
Read more: Chaos in Karachi as mob attacks US consulate following Khamenei’s death
