Pakistani security personnel stand guard outside the US consulate in Lahore.
The US government has ordered the evacuation of most diplomats from its consulate in Pakistanâ„¢s northeastern city of Lahore due to Å“threats” of attack.
Non-essential staff at the US consulate in Lahore were evacuated to the US embassy in Islamabad on Friday following an Å“ordered departure” issued by the US State Department.
Å“The Department of State ordered this drawdown due to specific threats concerning the U.S. consulate in Lahore,” read a travel warning posted on the departmentâ„¢s website on Thursday.
The details of the threats were not mentioned. Meanwhile, a US embassy spokesperson has said it was not clear when the US consulate in Lahore would reopen.
The State Department also warned American citizens against travelling to Pakistan.
It was also unclear whether the reason for the evacuation was connected with the earlier closure of US embassies in a number of countries.
The US closed 21 embassies and consulates in the Middle East and North Africa on Sunday due to a State Departmentâ„¢s warning over a possible terror attack by al-Qaeda.
Moreover, a department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, announced on Sunday that US embassies and consulates in 19 cities would remain closed through August 10.
In a phone interview with Press TV on Thursday, American author and investigative journalist Wayne Madsen said that al-Qaeda is basically Å“the construct of the United States” and different administrations in the US have Å“always pulled the al-Qaeda card” whenever they needed it.
Madsen said the administration of President Obama is now restoring Å“al-Qaeda as a major threat” because it seeks to justify its massive spying programs which have come under spotlight recently.
Å“This is the covert nature of the US false flag operations that have been taking place prior to 9/11 and now over a decade after 9/11,” Madsen said.
ISH/ISH
Republished from: Press TV