The Government of Pakistan has declared holidays on July 31st and August 1st.  Due to the ongoing potential for road closures and/or traffic delays, especially within Islamabad’s Red Zone, the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad has canceled all routine consular appointments for Monday, July 31, 2023andTuesday, August 1, 2023.  The Embassy remains open and available for emergency services, though the U.S. Embassy continues to restrict movements of embassy personnel to official and mission-essential travel only.  U.S. Consulates General Karachi and Lahore are open for routine consular appointments.

U.S. citizens are reminded of potential disruptions to cell-phone service and should have contingency communication plans in place if traveling in-country.  U.S. citizens are urged to pay attention to local media for security updates and planned road closures and maintain good situational awareness and security wherever they travel in Pakistan.  The U.S. Embassy strongly encourages U.S. citizens to avoid large gatherings, unnecessary travel, and remain vigilant of their surroundings and to comply with all established security checkpoints.