Embassy of the United States, Islamabad

The Embassy of the United States in Islamabad is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Pakistan. The embassy in Islamabad is one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world, in terms of personnel, and houses a chancery and complex of office buildings.[1] The embassy complex also houses a contingent of military officials and intelligence personnel in addition to diplomatic and non-diplomatic staff.[1] U.S. Department of State also maintains Consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar.[2]

Embassy of the United States in Islamabad

LocationRamna 5, Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory 44000
Coordinates33.725°N 73.117°E / 33.725; 73.117
WebsiteU.S. Embassy in Islamabad
Former chancery of the US Embassy

The American diplomatic mission is headed by Paul W. Jones, the Chargé d'affaires ad interim who has been overlooking the mission's objectives after the departure of David Hale in 2018. The first Embassy of the United States to Pakistan was located in the city of Karachi, then the capital of Pakistan. The embassy was relocated to Islamabad after the city was made the new capital in 1960, and rebuilt in 1979. In 2015, a new embassy complex was completed at a cost of $736 million.[3]

History

The first U.S. embassy in Pakistan was established on August 15, 1947 in Karachi, then-capital of Pakistan. When the capital was moved to Islamabad in 1960, a new embassy was constructed there. After being burned to the ground by extremists in 1979, security at the rebuilt embassy was heightened.[4] Security was again significantly increased in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001.

In 2011, the new complex began construction.[5] On 9 August 2013, the United States State Department evacuated most diplomats and all non-emergency staff from the consulate in Lahore, and U.S. citizens were warned not to travel there due to terror concerns.[6]

In August 2015, a new embassy complex was inaugurated in the Diplomatic Enclave which would house the embassy, replacing the previous building. The complex was built at a cost of $736 million,[3] with $85 million invested into the local economy by the purchase of construction supply from Pakistan contractors and suppliers.[7] The embassy is reported to be the one of the most expensive diplomatic mission of the United States, second only to the Embassy of the United States in Baghdad.[8] The embassy was designed to accommodate a staff of 2,500 people.[9]

Ambassador Paul W. Jones is currently the Chargé d'Affaires ad interim, as of September, 2018.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Islamabad to get giant U.S. embassy". Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  2. "U.S. Mission to Pakistan". U.S. Department of State. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved July 27, 2011.
  3. Gardner, Lloyd (2013-11-12). Killing Machine: The American Presidency in the Age of Drone Warfare. New Press, The. ISBN 978-1-59558-918-7.
  4. "A Day of Terror Recalled". Washington Post. November 27, 2004. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  5. "Ambassador Richard Olson Inaugurates New U.S. Embassy Building in Islamabad". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan. 2015-07-31. Retrieved 2020-03-24.
  6. "US Pulls Lahore Consulate Staff Over 'Threats'". Sky News. Retrieved 9 August 2013.
  7. US embassy: New building inaugurated
  8. Johnson, Chalmers (2010-08-17). Dismantling the Empire: America's Last Best Hope. Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 978-1-4299-6404-3.
  9. Davis, Raymond (2017-06-27). The Contractor: How I Landed in a Pakistani Prison and Ignited a Diplomatic Crisis. BenBella Books, Inc. p. 58. ISBN 9781941631850.
  10. "Chargé d'Affaires a.i. Paul W. Jones". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Pakistan. Retrieved 2019-08-24.
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