U.S. Embassy in Islamabad Extends Visa Service Suspension Until March 20

ISLAMABAD — The U.S. Embassy in Islamabad said Friday it has extended the suspension of visa services until March 20, while consular operations at U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore remain halted.

In a statement posted on social media, the embassy said it continues to provide routine and emergency services to U.S. citizens but that visa appointments will remain cancelled through the extended period.

“The US Embassy in Islamabad continues to serve US citizens requiring routine and emergency services. All immigrant and nonimmigrant visa appointments are cancelled through March 20. Affected visa applicants will receive instructions by email on rescheduling their appointments,” the embassy said.

Officials said applicants can check the status of their appointments through the embassy’s website. The embassy also confirmed that all consular services at the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore remain suspended.

Earlier this month, the United States ordered non-emergency government personnel and family members stationed at its consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to security concerns.

“On March 3, 2026, the Department of State ordered non-emergency US government employees and the family members of US government personnel from US Consulates Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety risks. There is no change to the status of Embassy Islamabad,” the embassy said in a statement.

The decision followed widespread protests across Pakistan after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a U.S.-Israeli strike on February 28.

At least 23 protesters were killed in clashes across the country, including 10 outside the U.S. Consulate in Karachi and 11 in Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan, where demonstrators also set fire to a United Nations office, according to the Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune. Two additional protesters were reported killed in Islamabad.

In Karachi, demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Consulate and witnesses reported gunfire in the area.

In Lahore, hundreds of protesters assembled outside the consulate, with clashes reported after police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.

In Islamabad, protesters attempted to march toward the U.S. Embassy despite roadblocks and a heavy security presence. (Source: IANS)