In a wave of unrest that swept through Pakistan, at least 22 lives were tragically lost, and over 120 individuals suffered injuries during fierce confrontations between demonstrators and security forces. The turmoil erupted in Karachi, a vital port city in the south of the country, as well as in the northern regions. Protesters, rallying in support of the Iranian government, attempted to breach the U.S. Consulate on Sunday, according to reports from authorities.
In the northern part of Pakistan, demonstrators directed their anger towards United Nations and government offices, escalating the violence further.
This unrest was sparked by a joint military action from the United States and Israel, which resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The situation in Karachi was particularly dire, with police and hospital officials reporting that around 50 people sustained injuries, some of whom remain in critical condition.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sympathy towards the Iranian nation, mourning the loss of Khamenei. His office released a statement extending condolences and highlighting Pakistan’s solidarity with Iran during this period of mourning. “Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in their loss,” Zardari stated.
Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at Karachi’s main government hospital, reported that six bodies and numerous injured individuals were initially brought in. Tragically, the death toll later increased to 10 as four critically injured victims succumbed to their wounds.
Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at the city’s main government hospital, confirmed six bodies and multiple injured people were brought to the facility. However, she said the death toll rose to 10 after four critically wounded people died.
In addition, 12 people were killed and over 80 wounded in clashes with police in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region when thousands of protesters angered by U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran attacked the offices of the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), local police official Asghar Ali said.
A government spokesman, Shabir Mir, said all staff working for those organizations was safe. He said protesters repeatedly clashed with police at various places in the region, damaged the offices of a local charity, and set fire to police offices. However, he said authorities had deployed troops and brought the situation under control.
The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said in a post on X that it was monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the U.S. Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional protests at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the consulate general in Peshawar.
It advised U.S. citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news, stay aware of their surroundings, avoid large crowds and keep their travel registration with the U.S. government up to date.
U. S. Consulate windows smashed
In Karachi, which is the capital of southern Sindh province and Pakistan’s largest city, senior police official Irfan Baloch said that protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate, but were later dispersed.
He dismissed reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire. However, he said that protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows of the consulate before security forces arrived and regained control.
Protests in the area surrounding the consulate went on for hours, with dozens of youth, some covering their faces, throwing stones at law enforcement officials and vowing to reach the consulate where hundreds of police and paramilitary officers have been deployed.
The clashes prompted Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi to issue an appeal for calm.
“Following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, every citizen of Pakistan shares in the grief of the people of Iran,” Naqvi said in a statement, but urged people not to take the law into their own hands and to express their protests peacefully. The provincial government of Sindh also urged citizens to express their views peacefully and warned against engaging in violence.
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Pakistani Shiite Muslims sit on a road during a demonstration to condemn the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a major attack by Israel and the United States, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
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Pakistani Shiite Muslims sit on a road during a demonstration to condemn the death of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a major attack by Israel and the United States, in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, March 1, 2026. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)
Protests took place elsewhere in Pakistan
In Islamabad, police fired tear gas and swung batons as hundreds of protesters, angered by the killing of Khamenei, tried to march toward the U.S. Embassy. The clashes took place outside the city’s diplomatic enclave, where the embassy is located, and additional police had been deployed.
Meanwhile, in the northwestern city of Peshawar, authorities also used tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of demonstrators attempting to approach the U.S. Consulate to hold a rally and to denounce the killing of the Iranian leader, police said.
Protesters 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 that she was protesting Khamenei’s killing. “God willing, we will never bow before America and Israel,” she said.
Protesters also rallied and clashed with police repeatedly near the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, police said. Authorities said that the government has stepped up security around the U.S. Embassy in the capital, and consulates across the country to avoid any further violence.
Munir Ahmed reported from Islamabad. Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, Babar Dogar in Lahore, and Asim Tanveer in Multan, contributed to this story.
