The Public Diplomacy section is comprised of the Press and Information Office and the Cultural Affairs Office. Public Diplomacy officers explain and advocate American policy and serve as Embassy’s point of contact for media and press inquiries. This office also advises the U.S. Mission to Pakistan on issues of public diplomacy. The Public Diplomacy section works closely with other sections of the American Embassy and Pakistani organizations to strengthen the bilateral relationship.

The head of the Office of Public Diplomacy is the Public Affairs Officer (PAO).

The Cultural Affairs Office of the Embassy manages a broad range of activities promoting professional, academic, and cultural relations between the people of Pakistan and the United States, and represents the American Embassy vis-a-vis the Government of Pakistan in official business related to education and culture. The office is led by the Cultural Affairs Officer, sometimes called the Cultural Attaché. The office provides funding for and administrative support to the bi-national Fulbright Commission, established in 1950 as the U.S. Educational Foundation in Pakistan (USEFP). Currently, the Fulbright Foreign Student Program for Pakistan is, in terms of U.S. government funding, the largest worldwide.

Like the cultural missions of other countries, the Cultural Affairs Office also sponsors activities in traditional areas such as performing arts, visual arts, and literature.

Beyond the arts, the Cultural Affairs Office supports a wide range of professional exchange and speaker programs. The American speakers who come to Pakistan include government officials, scholars, journalists, business, and labor leaders. A number of Cultural Affairs programs send Pakistani citizens to the United States for educational or professional development purposes. For example, the International Visitor Leadership Program invites current and future foreign leaders to the United States to engage in a short but intensive round of professional meetings and consultations with their American counterparts.

For further information on some of the programs in Cultural Affairs, click on the links below:

• Alumni
• Scholarships and Exchange Program Opportunities

The Press Attaché, or Information Officer, is the official spokesperson of the Embassy and directly oversees the Press and Information office. Press officers work closely with Pakistani print and electronic media to provide authoritative information on U.S. government policies and track media opinion on issues of interest to the United States. The Press and Information office arranges interviews with Embassy officials for domestic and foreign media, conducts press briefings by Embassy officers or visiting U.S. government officials, and prepares and/or disseminates speeches, policy statements, press releases, and special publications about issues or events of interest to the people of Pakistan. These materials are generally available in both English and Pakistan’s vernacular languages, especially Urdu.

Information Officers also manage the Embassy’s social media platforms and online outreach efforts.

Contact Information 

Nicholas Hersh
Press Attaché / Spokesperson

Inquiries: infoisb@state.gov

Please call only for press inquiries: (+92) 051-201-4000

The American Center at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad is a specialized unit of the Public Affairs Section. The American Center is staffed by bilingual specialists who have access to state-of-the-art information technologies to serve the information needs of its clients.

Our goal is to provide accurate and authoritative information on American policy, history, government, society, and values and to assist the Pakistani public in understanding the United States and its policies. The American Center exemplifies the U.S. commitment to free access to information, a core characteristic of a democracy.

American Center staff oversee and guide the Lincoln Corners Program throughout Pakistan.

The American Center is accessible by phone and email:

American Center
Public Affairs Section (PAS)
Embassy of the United State of America
Islamabad, Pakistan
Phone: 0092 51 2082786
Email: ircisb@state.gov

For Visa questions, please see our Visa page

The Economic Section works to expand bilateral trade and investment and promote regional economic integration. We support efforts to help Pakistan modernize and innovate its economy, work jointly on science and health exchanges, and promote women’s participation in the economy. The section engages in commercial advocacy, policy formulation, and outreach to the Government of Pakistan and the private sector. We meet with Pakistani officials, private sector representatives, business groups, incubators/accelerators, academic institutions, and civil society. The Economic Section also assists U.S. investment in Pakistan, working with the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. The Economic Section continually interacts with U.S. firms doing business in Pakistan, often through the American Business Council of Pakistan.

The Political Secton works to strengthen political relations between the United States and Pakistan.  We monitor and analyze developments related to Pakistan’s domestic politics and human rights, foreign policy issues, and the U.S.-Pakistan security relationship.  We also advocate for U.S. positions on a broad range of issues with Pakistani officials, parliamentarians, politicians, academic institutions and think tanks, civil society leaders, and foreign diplomats and work to advance U.S. interests and increase bilateral cooperation across a broad range of issues.

The Embassy’s consular section is responsible for two broad categories of activities: visa services to Pakistanis and third-country nationals and services to American citizens. Visa services consist of processing applications for nonimmigrant and immigrant visas. Nonimmigrant visa applicants include visitors to the United States for business and pleasure, students who plan to study in the United States and others whose purpose in visiting the United States is temporary in nature and who intend to return to Pakistan upon completion of the purpose of their visit.

Immigrant visa applicants include those who plan to become permanent residents of the United States. Both nonimmigrant and immigrant visa applicants must meet the requirements of United States immigration law and regulations in order to be processed and issued visas.

• Services Available to United States Citizens

American Citizens Services include issuance of U.S. passports, preparation of reports of birth and death abroad of U.S. citizens and notarial services. Other services to American citizens include assistance to those seeking medical care, those who are destitute and visits to those detained or incarcerated by local authorities.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) leads international development and humanitarian efforts to save lives, reduce poverty, strengthen democratic governance, and help people progress beyond assistance. USAID supports Pakistan in driving its development journey toward self-reliance by helping to develop a stable, secure, and tolerant Pakistan with a vibrant economy.

The United States and Pakistan have worked together for over 70 years on issues that are important to both nations, including energy, economic growth, resilience, education, and health. USAID’s transformational partnerships and practices, as well as our legacy institutions, sustain the impact of USAID’s programs after implementation ends. An array of partnerships with the Government of Pakistan, the private sector, and Pakistani civil society ensures that USAID programs are aligned with local priorities and build local capacity. For details visit: https://www.usaid.gov/pakistan

The Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan (ODR-P) administers U.S. security assistance to the Pakistan military in the form of equipment, training, and education. ODR-P also facilitates coordination between the forces of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and the Operation Resolute Support coalition.

The Defense Attaché Office (DAO) maintains military-to-military relationships with the Pakistan Armed Forces and provides advice on military matters to the Ambassador. DAO represents the Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Commanding General, U.S. Central Command, and the U.S. military services in Pakistan. DAO personnel also assist Pakistan by conducting military exchange programs that enable Pakistan’s military officers to study at U.S. military schools.

The U.S. Commercial Service in Pakistan is responsible for promoting U.S. exports in the country. It provides a number of services for U.S. businesses to help them enter the market. The U.S. Commercial Service’s objective is to provide export counseling and to promote U.S. products and services in Pakistan, in addition to counseling, advocating and protecting U.S. commercial interests in Pakistan. Click here for the Pakistan Country Commercial Guide.

USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has an unrivaled global network of Agricultural Affairs and Agricultural Trade Offices that connect exporters to foreign customers and provide crucial information on international agricultural markets.  Covering 167 countries, FAS provides practical solutions, works to advance opportunities for U.S. agriculture, and supports U.S. foreign policy around the globe.  FAS operates an office in Islamabad, Pakistan that is responsible for trade policy monitoring, commodity analysis and reporting through the Global Agricultural Information Network, market access assistance, resolution of technical trade issues for U.S. agricultural exports, and capacity building of Pakistani institutions through scientific and trade exchange programs.

Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)’s International Operations Division is the Department of Homeland Security’s largest investigative presence overseas. Division personnel serve as liaisons to governments and law enforcement agencies across the globe and work side-by-side with foreign law enforcement on HSI investigations overseas. The division’s attachés have a variety of duties, including relationship building and providing assistance on active investigations and repatriation efforts. Attaché offices have a unique dual reporting structure. They report to HSI leadership, but are also responsible to U.S. ambassadors. The mission of International Operations is threefold. It supports domestic operations by coordinating investigations with foreign counterparts; disrupts criminal efforts to smuggle people and materials into the United States; and builds international partnerships through outreach and training.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) mission is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. To this end, the DOE Islamabad Office promotes energy planning and sustainability efforts focused on enhancing prosperity in Pakistan. In cooperation with the U.S. Agency for International Development, the DOE Islamabad Office supports cooperative activities between the Department of Energy, the U.S. National Laboratories, and our Pakistani counterparts.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury is charged with promoting the conditions that enable economic growth and stability and with protecting the integrity of the international financial system. Treasury’s Financial Attaché serves as the Department’s representative in country, supporting and advising the Chief of Mission on economic and financial matters, and representing the Department in its engagement with Pakistan-based economic and financial interlocutors. The Financial Attaché is based in Islamabad and travels domestically as needed.