Three days after the incident outside the United States Consulate in Karachi, uncertainty continues to surround the situation, with security measures still firmly in place and questions lingering over the pace of the investigation.
Citing security concerns, the US Embassy has directed its non-essential diplomatic staff stationed in Pakistan, including personnel in Karachi, to depart — a move that signals the gravity of the developments.
Police barricades on the roads leading to the consulate are yet to be removed, and the authorities have not shared information about any significant progress made in the inquiry into the incident.
Police still do not know how and why the mob had reached the consulate, why they had not been stopped en route, and ultimately, how they had managed to enter and cause a disturbance.
This was not the first attempt by a mob to approach the consulate. On previous occasions, however, police had successfully intercepted and stopped such attempts before the crowd could reach the premises every single time.
Moreover, since US officials have confirmed that US Marines had fired gunshots to disperse the mob, no report has yet been presented by police to indicate who was killed or injured by whose bullets. Similarly, no postmortem examination reports or findings have been shared with the media yet.
However, security around the consulate has been tightened further amid continued security concerns following the recent developments in the vicinity, prompting the authorities to enhance protective measures.
Over the past few days, heightened alert levels and precautionary restrictions have been imposed after reports of potential security threats, leading to increased deployment of law enforcement personnel around the diplomatic enclave.
Officials confirmed that roads leading to the consulate have remained closed for four consecutive days now as part of the security protocol. According to the traffic police, the road from PIDC Chowk to Sultanabad via MT Khan Road has been sealed with containers, while the route from Tower to Mai Kolachi also remains closed. However, the road from Boat Basin to Mai Kolachi has been reopened for small vehicles.
The closure of MT Khan Road has resulted in severe congestion on the adjoining roads. Heavy traffic jams have been reported on the Jinnah Bridge, II Chundrigar Road and both sides of the Shaheen Complex. Areas including PIDC, Pakistan Chowk and the Clifton Bridge have also been significantly affected.
Though the district police were unavailable for comments when contacted, the traffic authorities said that the diversions in place are being implemented by the district police due to security concerns, and efforts are under way to maintain smooth traffic flow.
