The United States Embassy in Islamabad and its Consulates General in Karachi Lahore and Peshawar have paused all routine visa operations and consular services through Friday cancelling appointments that had been scheduled for thousands of Pakistani applicants citing the ongoing security situation following violent nationwide protests. According to official notices the U.S. mission said routine visa services including interviews and American Citizen Services are suspended as a precaution while it monitors demonstrations that erupted around its diplomatic facilities after unrest linked to the widening Middle East conflict with protest activity reported outside consulates in Karachi and Lahore and calls for gatherings near the embassy in Islamabad. U.S. personnel have been instructed to restrict their movements until further notice while American citizens in Pakistan are advised to stay alert avoid large crowds follow personal security plans and keep their Smart Traveler Enrollment Program registration up to date for safety updates. The pause comes as Pakistani authorities have deployed additional security around U.S. missions and imposed measures such as Section 144 to curb violent protests and as deadly clashes in multiple cities have heightened concerns about the protection of diplomatic staff and visitors leaving visa applicants and U.S. nationals in uncertainty about when normal services will resume.
