KARACHI – In a turbulent scene on Sunday, at least nine individuals lost their lives and around two dozen were injured during intense confrontations with law enforcement and paramilitary units. This chaos ensued when hundreds of demonstrators descended upon the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, the bustling port city of Pakistan, according to official reports.
The unrest erupted soon after a coordinated military strike by the United States and Israel resulted in the death of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. In Karachi, police and medical personnel confirmed that the clashes left at least 25 people wounded, with some sustaining life-threatening injuries.
Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at Karachi’s main government hospital, initially reported receiving six bodies along with several injured individuals. Tragically, the death toll later climbed to nine as three critically injured victims succumbed to their wounds.
Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan and the capital of the southern Sindh province, was at the center of these violent events.
High-ranking police official Irfan Baloch stated that the protestors had briefly breached the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate before being dispersed. “The situation is now fully under our control,” Baloch assured.
Refuting claims of any fires within the consulate, Baloch noted that demonstrators had set a nearby police post ablaze and shattered windows at the consulate. Security forces swiftly intervened to restore order.
Witnesses said dozens of Shiite protesters remained gathered about a kilometer (half a mile) from the consulate, urging others to join them. They said one of the protesters had tried to burn a window of the consulate before security forces arrived there and dispersed the demonstrators.
The provincial government of Sindh in a statement urged citizens to express their views peacefully and warned against engaging in violence.
Shiites also held a peaceful rally in Multan, a city in Punjab province, chanting slogans against Israel and the United States. Mamoona Sherazi, who attended the rally, said she was protesting the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader. She described Khamenei as a fatherly figure and a strong voice for Shiites, adding that he also supported Sunni Muslims facing oppression. “God willing, we will never bow before America and Israel,” she said.
Shiites also held a rally near the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, police said. Faisal Kamran, a senior police official, said demonstrators tried to protest outside the consulate but were not allowed. Police dispersed the crowd when they tried to march toward the building, he said.
A rally was also planned in the capital, Islamabad, and elsewhere in the country. Authorities said the government has stepped up security around the U.S. Embassy in the capital, and consulates across the country to avoid any further violence.
Shiites make up roughly 15% of Pakistan’s population of about 250 million and represent one of the largest Shiite communities in the world. They have frequently staged anti-Israel and anti-U.S. rallies in the past, though clashes of this scale are rare.
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Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writers Babar Dogar in Lahore, Pakistan, and Asim Tanveer in Multan, Pakistan, contributed to this story.
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