The Embassy of the United States in Islamabad is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Pakistan. It is one of the largest U.S. embassies in the world, and houses a chancery and complex of office buildings. The embassy complex also houses a contingent of military and intelligence personnel in addition to diplomatic staff. U.S. Department of State also maintains Consulates in Karachi, Lahore and Peshawar. 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.
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. Security was again significantly increased in the wake of the September 11 attacksin 2001. In 2011, the new complex began construction. 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. 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, with $85 million invested into the local economy by the purchase of construction supply from Pakistani suppliers. 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. The embassy was designed to accommodate a staff of 2,500 people. Ambassador Paul W. Jones is currently the Chargé d'Affairesad interim, as of September, 2018.
