Karachi: The United States announced on Wednesday that non-emergency staff will be withdrawn from its consulates in the Pakistani cities of Karachi and Lahore due to safety concerns.
In a statement, the US Mission in Pakistan said the Department of State had directed non-essential government employees and the family members of US personnel at the two consulates to leave the country.
“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 statement said.
The move comes days after protestors attempted to storm US diplomatic missions following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli air strikes.
According to reports, at least 10 protestors were killed in Karachi on March 1 when demonstrators tried to breach the security perimeter around the US consulate. Similar protests were also reported in Lahore and Islamabad.
US authorities said the decision was also influenced by the ongoing threat of drone and missile attacks from Iran and disruptions to commercial flights in the region amid the escalating conflict.
The advisory clarified that there has been no change to the status of the US Embassy in Islamabad. Although the United States also operates a consulate in Peshawar, the updated travel advisory did not mention any changes to its status.
Since the start of hostilities between Iran and the US-Israel alliance on February 28, the US State Department has issued similar instructions to its personnel across several countries in the region.
These include Jordan, Bahrain, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Oman and most recently Cyprus, as tensions across the Middle East continue to rise.
The US has ordered non-emergency staff to leave its consulates in Karachi and Lahore due to security concerns following protests and threats of attacks. This decision comes after violent demonstrations in response to the killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The US Embassy in Islamabad remains unaffected, but tensions in the region are escalating.