Photo: Alamy
At least 22 people were killed, and more than 120 were injured in violent clashes between protesters and security forces in Pakistan on Sunday, as demonstrations erupted following U.S. and Israeli strikes in Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
In Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, protesters supportive of the Iranian government attempted to storm the United States Consulate General Karachi. Senior police official Irfan Baloch said demonstrators briefly attacked the consulate’s perimeter before being dispersed.
Authorities said at least 10 people died in Karachi after clashes with police. Dr. Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city’s main government hospital, confirmed multiple fatalities and dozens of injuries, some of them critical, the Associated Press reported. Protesters reportedly set fire to a nearby police post and damaged property near the consulate, though officials denied reports that the consulate building itself was set ablaze.
In the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, 12 people were killed and more than 80 wounded when thousands of demonstrators attacked government and United Nations offices, including facilities tied to the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme. Local official Asghar Ali said troops were deployed to restore order, the AP added.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “profound sorrow” over Khamenei’s death and offered condolences to Iran, saying Pakistan shared in the nation’s grief.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged calm, calling on citizens to protest peacefully and avoid taking the law into their own hands.
The United States Embassy in Islamabad said it was monitoring demonstrations at U.S. diplomatic facilities in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, and Peshawar, advising American citizens to avoid large crowds and remain alert.
Clashes were also reported in Islamabad and Peshawar, where police used tear gas and batons to disperse demonstrators attempting to march toward U.S. diplomatic compounds. In Multan, protesters held a peaceful rally denouncing the strikes.
Pakistani authorities said security has been increased around U.S. diplomatic sites nationwide to prevent further violence.