Overview
- The State Department, which announced the move Wednesday, will shift diplomatic and consular work for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.
- Operations at the Peshawar post have been suspended since May 3 after protests and wider security concerns in Pakistani cities.
- Congress was notified of the plan with estimated savings of about $7.5 million a year and roughly $3 million in closure costs that include relocating armored office trailers.
- Consular services will now be handled in Islamabad about 184 kilometers away, and the Peshawar mission’s staff included 18 American employees and 89 local workers.
- Officials say the step is part of a yearlong restructuring not tied to the Iran conflict, though recent unrest and militant threats in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa underscore the safety rationale.