PESHAWAR, Pakistan, May 6 (Reuters) – The United States will close its consulate in Pakistan’s Peshawar, citing the safety of its diplomats, the State Department said in a statement published on Tuesday.
The U.S. embassy in Islamabad will handle all diplomatic engagement with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Peshawar is the capital, the State Department said.
“This decision reflects our commitment to the safety of our diplomatic personnel and efficient resource management,” the statement said.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borders Afghanistan, and has seen attacks and fierce fighting between Pakistan forces and what Islamabad says are Afghan-backed militants.
Ten people were killed in March when protesters breached the outer wall of the U.S. consulate in Karachi, Pakistan’s biggest city, after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in strikes on Iran.
(Reporting by Mushtaq Ali in Peshawar, Writing by Shilpa Jamkhandikar; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
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