US cancels visa appointments in Pakistan after deadly protests
A motorcycle burns after being set ablaze by unidentified men near the US Consulate during a protest against the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Israeli-US airstrikes on the Islamic Republic. Photo: PPI
The United States has cancelled all visa and American Citizen Services appointments for Monday, March 2, at its embassy in Islamabad and consulates general in Karachi and Lahore, after protests and security concerns in several Pakistani cities.
UPDATE: All appointments for U.S. visas and American Citizen Services are canceled for today, March 2 at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore. For more info: https://t.co/LLRbFcy7bZ
In a security alert issued on March 1, the US mission in Pakistan said it was monitoring ongoing demonstrations at the consulates in Lahore and Karachi, as well as calls for further protests outside the US embassy in Islamabad and the consulate in Peshawar. It said US government personnel had been told to restrict their movements until further notice.
The alert also advised American citizens in Pakistan to follow local news coverage, avoid large crowds, remain aware of their surroundings and make sure their Smart Traveler Enrollment Programme registration was up to date. The mission said appointments for March 2 had been cancelled because of protest activity around the diplomatic sites in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
Read: 51 Pakistanis return from Iran amid war
The warning comes after protests erupted across Pakistan in light of the US killing the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in a strike at his home while he was with his family. At least 23 protesters were killed in clashes nationwide, including 10 outside the US consulate in Karachi, 11 in Skardu, and two in Islamabad.
In Karachi, protesters gathered outside the US consulate, where witnesses reported gunfire and police using tear gas after demonstrators were protesting outside the main gate, attempting to breach the premises.
Read more: Protests erupt outside US Consulate in Lahore
In Lahore, hundreds of people had gathered outside the US consulate, and smaller clashes broke out when officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd. In Islamabad, protesters attempted to march towards the US embassy, despite heavy security and roadblocks around the diplomatic enclave.
Authorities in Punjab and Islamabad later imposed Section 144, banning public gatherings and rallies, as officials sought to contain the unrest.