The United States mission in Pakistan has cancelled all visa appointments through Friday, March 6, citing the prevailing security situation, according to an official notice issued to applicants.In a statement, the United States Embassy Islamabad said routine visa services at its facilities, as well as at the US Consulate General Lahore and the US Consulate General Karachi, would remain suspended during the period.“Due to the current security situation, the US Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulates General in Lahore and Karachi have cancelled all visa appointments through Friday, March 6,” the embassy said in a post on X.Officials did not elaborate on the specific nature of the security concerns but said that affected applicants would be contacted with instructions on rescheduling their appointments. The embassy advised visa seekers to monitor its official communication channels for further updates.The broader suspension follows an earlier decision on Sunday, when the US mission cancelled all visa and American Citizen Services (ACS) appointments scheduled for March 2 at its facilities in Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore.In a security alert dated March 1, the mission said it was monitoring reports of demonstrations outside the US Consulate in Lahore and protests near the US Consulate in Karachi. It also referred to calls for additional demonstrations at the embassy in Islamabad and the US Consulate General in Peshawar.
As a precautionary measure, US government personnel were directed to restrict their movements until further notice. The mission urged American citizens in Pakistan to follow local news reports, avoid large gatherings and keep their Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) registration updated.The advisory came amid widespread protests across the country on Sunday against reported US and Israeli strikes that allegedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.Demonstrations were held in major cities, including Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Quetta. In Islamabad, authorities imposed Section 144 and blocked routes leading to the Red Zone.In Karachi, protesters gathered outside the US Consulate and attempted to move towards the premises, prompting police to use tear gas and other measures to disperse the crowd. Officials said the unrest left at least 10 people dead and 36 others injured.
