US to permanently shut down its consulate in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The US State Department has decided to permanently close its consulate in Peshawar. According to the US news agency, the US consulate in Peshawar was considered a key US diplomatic mission near the Afghan border.

According to the news agency, the US State Department informed Congress about the decision this week. According to the State Department, the closure of the consulate will save $7.5 million annually and will not negatively affect the promotion of US national interests in Pakistan.

According to the news agency, the Peshawar consulate was a key center of operations and logistics before, during, and after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

According to the report, the decision had been under consideration for more than a year and is part of the Trump administration’s plan to reduce the size of federal agencies. According to officials, the decision has nothing to do with the Iran war.

Thousands of diplomatic staff were laid off last year as part of the State Department’s reorganization, while the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) staff was also almost entirely laid off. However, the Peshawar consulate will be the first diplomatic mission abroad to be completely closed as a result of the State Department’s reorganization.

The Peshawar consulate is reportedly staffed by 18 U.S. diplomats and other government officials, along with 89 local employees.

The closure of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar will cost about $3 million. The bulk of the money will be spent on moving armored trailers used as temporary offices, while the rest will be spent on moving vehicles, electronic and telecommunications equipment, and office supplies to the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the consulates in Karachi and Lahore.

The State Department said consular affairs for U.S. citizens and others will now be handled by the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad.