US permanently closing Peshawar consulate

PESHAWAR: The US State Department announced plans to permanently close its consulate in Peshawar, a key diplomatic mission near the Afghan border that served as a primary operations and logistics hub before, during, and after the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan.

The department notified Congress this week of its decision, citing annual savings of $7.5 million and stating that the closure would not hinder America’s ability to advance its national interests in Pakistan, according to a copy of the notification. The closure has been under consideration for over a year, stemming from a broader effort to downsize federal agencies that began during the Trump administration.