CHANCERIESTHE DIPLOMATIC ATLAS

Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

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Interpretive architectural study of the catalogued property.

3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008

An Inauguration with Two Agreements

President Pervez Musharraf inaugurated Pakistan’s new Washington chancery on June 25, 2003. Two bilateral agreements were signed at the opening, one on trade and investment and the other on scientific cooperation. Under Secretary of State Paula Dobriansky and Pakistan’s Foreign Secretary Riaz Khokhar signed the science agreement. [1] [5] [3]

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and Pakistan’s Finance Minister Shaukat Aziz signed the Trade and Investment Framework Agreement. Zoellick and Commerce Minister Humayun Akhtar Khan had agreed on June 9 to negotiate it. The agreement created a Joint Council to examine commercial questions and possible expansion of trade and investment. [3] [1]

The science agreement encouraged exchanges of researchers and technical information, joint seminars, training, research projects, and partnerships between public and private institutions. Activities depended on available funds and personnel and had to comply with both countries’ laws; work on nuclear, chemical, or biological weapons, missiles, and high resolution remote sensing was expressly excluded. Although signed at the June ceremony, the agreement entered into force on October 16, 2003. [4] [1]

Mughal References and Modern Offices

Architect Nayyar Ali Dada designed the ceremonial pavilion with a curved roof and reception spaces evoking the Sheesh Mahal at Lahore Fort. Large windows admit light to a hall named for Jamsheed Marker, one of Pakistan’s former ambassadors to the United States. The complex also includes a separate auditorium and conference room. [2]

A connecting section joins the pavilion to a rectangular office building of four storeys, accommodating the embassy’s administrative wings and consular section. Red brick, aluminum, and tilework link the two parts visually around a courtyard. [2]

Nayyar Ali Dada paired a long office block with a lower reception pavilion whose curved roof recalls Lahore Fort. A courtyard of red paving joins the two; the mission moved here in 2003. President Pervez Musharraf inaugurated the chancery in June 2003.

FactValueBasis and sources
Constructed2003documented-by; Contemporary State Department media note dated June 26, 2003 records inauguration of the new Pakistan Chancery on June 25, 2003. This supports construction in place by 2003, not an exact completion date. The current Pakistani ministry page gives June 2004; retain the conflict and prefer contemporary documentary evidence for the event.
  1. 2001-2009.state.gov
  2. mofa.gov.pk
Acquired by PakistanFederal land; lease date unverifiedunverified DC identifies the United States as landowner. The site acquisition date remains unresolved; opening and construction dates are listed separately.
  1. services.arcgis.com
NeighborhoodNorth Cleveland Park / Van Nessverified
  1. mofa.gov.pk
  2. services.arcgis.com
ArchitectNayyar Ali Dadaverified
  1. mofa.gov.pk
Rooms≈75 (est.)estimated; ((48480.65 - 6200) * 0.60 / 350) + 3 = 75.48; rounded to 75. Room sizes are assumed. Low-confidence planning estimate, 60–95 rooms. Uses the existing approximate 48,500 sq ft floor area, subtracts about 6,200 sq ft for the large reception hall, allocates 60% of the remainder to enclosed rooms at an assumed 350 sq ft average, then adds the reception hall, auditorium and conference room. Excludes corridors, stairs, toilets and plant rooms. No measured floor plan or official total has been located.
  1. mofa.gov.pk
Floor area≈ 48,500 sq ftestimated; (17*57*4 + 24*24 + 2*6 + 4*10) / 0.09290304; above-grade only.
  1. mofa.gov.pk
  2. services.arcgis.com
Site area50,700 sq ftverified SSL 1964 0804; LANDAREA 50,678 sq ft.
  1. services.arcgis.com
2026 Value$20,837,430verified CY1YEAR 2026; ASSESSMENT field for the federally owned parcel.
  1. services.arcgis.com
First diplomatic use2003verified
  1. www.brecorder.com

Scope and Evidence

The U.S. State Department records the inauguration of the new chancery on 25 June 2003, establishing that the building was in place by then. Pakistan’s current ministry page gives June 2004; the construction completion date remains unconfirmed.

  1. 2001-2009.state.gov
  2. commons.wikimedia.org
  3. mofa.gov.pk
  4. mofa.gov.pk
  5. mofa.gov.pk
  6. services.arcgis.com
  7. services.arcgis.com
  8. services.arcgis.com
  9. www.brecorder.com

Research Questions

Where Is Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

3517 International Court NW, Washington, DC 20008. Approximate property location from DC cadastral and building records, in WGS84.

Sources and basis

When Was Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan Built?

Constructed: 2003. Record status: documented-by. Contemporary State Department media note dated June 26, 2003 records inauguration of the new Pakistan Chancery on June 25, 2003. This supports construction in place by 2003, not an exact completion date. The current Pakistani ministry page gives June 2004; retain the conflict and prefer contemporary documentary evidence for the event. Verified in the record on 2026-10-29.

Sources and basis

Who Designed Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

Architect: Nayyar Ali Dada. Record status: verified. Record reviewed on 2026-10-25.

Sources and basis

What Is the Floor Area of Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

Floor area: ≈ 48,500 sq ft. Record status: estimated. (17*57*4 + 24*24 + 2*6 + 4*10) / 0.09290304; above-grade only. Record reviewed on 2026-10-25.

Sources and basis

What Is the Site Area of Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

Site area: 50,700 sq ft. Record status: verified. SSL 1964 0804; LANDAREA 50,678 sq ft. Record reviewed on 2026-10-25.

Sources and basis

What Is the 2026 Value of Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan?

2026 Value: $20,837,430. Record status: verified. CY1YEAR 2026; ASSESSMENT field for the federally owned parcel. This is a tax assessment, not a verified sale price or market valuation. Record reviewed on 2026-10-25.

Sources and basis

Sources

  1. United States Signs Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement With Pakistan

    Media Note, June 26, 2003, opening and signing paragraphs

  2. Washington: Chancery

    Chancery history, architecture, and ceremonial spaces

  3. United States and Pakistan Sign Trade and Investment Framework Agreement

    Press release, June 25, 2003, opening two paragraphs

  4. Scientific Cooperation: United States and Pakistan, TIAS 03-1016.1

    PDF p. 3 entry-into-force note; pp. 5–6, articles I–III; p. 9 signature date

  5. US asked to address causes of terrorism: Musharraf for moderation in Muslim states

    June 27, 2003; opening paragraphs, Washington dateline June 26

  6. Official address and visitor information
  7. State property in Washington DC: MoFA to satisfy cabinet on proposed sale

    11 December 2022, first five substantive paragraphs

  8. DC Integrated Tax System public extract — 2026
  9. DC cadastral lot polygons
  10. DC building footprints
  11. Chancery photograph and license
  12. Matched photographic/model comparison: courtyard, connector, garages and statue

Notes

  • The ministry’s current architectural history gives June 2004 for the inauguration; contemporary June 2003 accounts establish the ceremony a year earlier.

Related Reading

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Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Chanceries Diplopedia. Record version 1a85eb0c8764d1e73cbd.

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