Embassy of the United States in Islamabad
اسلام آباد میں امریکہ کا سفارت خانہ

Map
Location Ramna 5, Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad, Islamabad Capital Territory 44000
Coordinates 33°43′30″N 73°07′01″E / 33.725°N 73.117°E / 33.725; 73.117
Jurisdiction Pakistan
Chargé d'affaires Donald Blome
Website U.S. Embassy in Islamabad

The Embassy of the United States in Islamabad is the diplomatic mission of the United States in Pakistan at Ramna 5, Diplomatic Enclave, Islamabad, 44000. 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]

The American diplomatic mission is headed by Ambassador Donald Blome. 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 after being burned by Jamaat-e-Islami agitators. 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.

1979

Main article: 1979 U.S. embassy burning in Islamabad

After being burned to the ground by Jamaat-e-Islami extremists in 1979 following rumours of American involvement in the Grand Mosque seizure, security at the rebuilt embassy was heightened.[4]

Post 9/11

Security was again significantly increased in the wake of the September 11 attacks in 2001.

2011

In 2011, the new complex began construction.[5]

2013

On 9 August 2013, the U.S. 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]

2015

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 supplies from Pakistani contractors and suppliers.[7] The embassy is reported to be the second-most expensive U.S. diplomatic mission, after the U.S. embassy in Baghdad.[8] The embassy was designed to accommodate a staff of 2,500 people.[9]

2025

This section is an excerpt from 2025 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protests.[edit]

On 9 October 2025, the Islamist political party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) launched a protest march from Lahore and Faisalabad toward Islamabad under the banner of the Labbaik Ya Aqsa Million March. The movement called for a rally outside the US Embassy in Islamabad in solidarity with the Palestinians amid the ongoing Gaza genocide. The planned march triggered a major security response: authorities imposed Section 144 in Rawalpindi to restrict public gatherings, suspended 3G/4G mobile data services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, and placed shipping containers alongside a heavy police deployment to seal off the Red Zone around the capital. Clashes erupted in Lahore when Punjab Police raided the TLP headquarters on Multan Road to arrest party leader Saad Rizvi. Police used tear gas and live fire to disperse demonstrators. According to reports, at least 11 TLP workers were killed and dozens more were injured during the live fire and shelling by the police.[10] The government maintained that the TLP had not obtained the required permission for the march, attributing the unrest to internal party disputes.[11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf member Sheikh Waqas Akram has compared the incident to Model Town Massacre and has said the government could not carry out a transparent probe into the massacre, hence independent observers and human rights organisations must be included to ensure a fair investigation.[18]

2026

Main article: Pro-Iranian protests during the 2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran § Pakistan

Nationwide protests erupted in Pakistan on 1 March 2026, primarily among Shia Muslim communities, in response to the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint US-Israeli strikes.[19][20] Protestors accused the Pakistani government of siding with the US during the conflict. The protests in Islamabad led authorities to block roads to the Red Zone and increase security around the US Embassy. Amid calls for demonstrations, at least 3 protesters were killed near the embassy.[19][20][21]

  • Former Chancery of the embassy
    Former Chancery of the embassy
  • A view of the former U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan (photograph from 1979).
    A view of the former U.S. Embassy and Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan (photograph from 1979).

See also

  • Americans in Pakistan
  • 1979 U.S. embassy burning in Islamabad
  • 2025 Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protests
  • Attacks on U.S consulate in Karachi
  • April 2010 U.S consulate and ANP attack
  • Pakistan–United States relations
  • Pakistan–United States military relations

References

  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b 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. Archived from the original on 2021-11-15. 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. ^ "Anti-Israel protests rock Pakistan: Police fire on Gaza protesters - what we know so far about violence that killed 11 in 3 days". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-10-11.
  11. ^ "Violence erupts in eastern Pakistan as Islamists try to march on capital for pro-Palestinian rally". Associated Press News. 10 October 2025.
  12. ^ Chaudhry, Asif (2025-10-09). "Clashes break out in Lahore after raid on TLP HQ goes awry". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  13. ^ Mughal, Saleh (2025-10-10). "TLP protest: 3G, 4G services suspended in Islamabad, Pindi". The Express Tribune. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  14. ^ Saifullah (2025-10-09). "Security tightened in Islamabad ahead of possible TLP march". Pashto News and Current Affairs Channel | Khyber News. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  15. ^ "Islamabad moves to thwart TLP protest". The Express Tribune. 2025-10-10. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  16. ^ Chaudhry, Asif (2025-10-10). "Efforts to keep TLP contained keep Lahore on edge". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  17. ^ "'Labbaik Al-Aqsa' march against Israel on Friday, October 10, police crackdown on Lahore TLP center". Dawn TV. Retrieved 2025-10-25.
  18. ^ Junaidi, Ikram (2025-10-14). "PTI draws parallels between Muridke and Model Town incidents". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-10-17.
  19. ^ a b "At least 9 killed in pro-Iran protest at US consulate in Pakistan's Karachi". Al Jazeera. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  20. ^ a b "Nine people killed as protests erupt in Pakistan and Iraq over Khamenei's death". Reuters. 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  21. ^ Junaidi, Ikram (2026-03-03). "Death toll in capital protest rises to three". Dawn. Retrieved 2026-03-03.