KARACHI, Pakistan, Feb. 11 (UPI) -- Residents of an affluent neighborhood in Karachi, Pakistan, fearing terror attacks, have protested U.S. plans to relocate its consulate to their area.
The proposed move to Clifton brought residents to the streets Thursday, the BBC reported. They carried signs reading "Keep our children safe -- go find another place," and "No U.S. consulate in our neighborhood."
In June 2002 a suicide bomb attack near the present U.S. Consulate in Karachi killed 12 Pakistanis. The Clifton protesters said that a U.S. Consulate would be high on the list of targets for terrorists, endangering the eight schools in the area.
Local authorities had asked the U.S. Consulate to relocate because security at its current location has been causing traffic jams on one of the main approaches to downtown Karachi.
The Clifton site chosen by the Americans has been used by area schools for sports and concerts until now.
One activist said the protests would continue until Clifton was dropped from the list of potential locations.
A U.S. Consulate spokesman said the Americans were willing to meet with residents to reach a solution.
