KARACHI/LAHORE/GILGIT/ISLAMABAD: At least nine people were killed and dozens injured in violent clashes near the US Consulate in Karachi on Sunday, as protests broke out across Pakistan following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in coordinated US-Israeli strikes.
According to officials at Civil Hospital Karachi’s SMBB Institute of Trauma, nine people lost their lives and 34 others sustained injuries during the unrest on Mai Kolachi Road. Dr Mohammad Sabir Memon, executive director of the hospital, revised the death toll from 10 to nine, explaining that one deceased individual had been counted twice. Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed also confirmed the figure.
Hospital authorities said that all nine deceased and the 34 injured brought to Civil Hospital had suffered gunshot wounds. Seven injured individuals were shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital and the Fatimid Foundation, while others remained under treatment at the trauma centre. Two injured policemen and two protesters with firearm injuries were also taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, where officials said the policemen had been hurt by blunt objects.
A statement from the Edhi Foundation said law enforcement personnel used tear gas and baton charges to disperse protesters who had gathered near the consulate. Emotional scenes were witnessed outside the hospital mortuary as families awaited the completion of legal formalities.
Sindh Government Orders Probe
The Sindh government expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. In an official statement, it said protesters breached the security cordon at the consulate and engaged in vandalism. However, it put the death toll at six and confirmed that several others were injured.
The provincial government announced the formation of a high-level joint investigation team (JIT) to impartially examine the circumstances of the incident and determine responsibility. It reiterated that while peaceful protest was a constitutional right, violence and vandalism would not be tolerated.
Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah described the incident as “extremely tragic” and ordered an impartial inquiry. He expressed solidarity with Iran over Khamenei’s assassination and urged religious leaders to help maintain calm.
Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar directed law enforcement agencies to strengthen security at sensitive installations and ensure traffic flow through alternative routes. He warned that strict legal action would be taken against those disturbing public order. The Sindh Rangers said heavy contingents had been deployed across Karachi in view of the security situation.
The US Embassy in Islamabad said it was monitoring demonstrations at its consulates in Karachi and Lahore and advised American citizens to avoid large gatherings and follow security precautions.
Protests in Lahore
In Lahore, hundreds of activists from Majlis Wahdat-i-Muslimeen gathered outside the US Consulate, attempting to enter the premises earlier than their scheduled protest time. Police personnel on duty pushed them back, and reinforcements later cordoned off the area. Protesters carried portraits of Khamenei and chanted slogans against the United States and Israel. One protester who reportedly scaled the boundary wall was detained and later released after negotiations.
Curfew in Skardu
In Gilgit-Baltistan, protests intensified following Khamenei’s assassination, prompting authorities to impose a curfew in Skardu. According to police, offices of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) in Skardu and Gilgit were set on fire. Other buildings, including a school, a superintendent of police office, and the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme office, were also torched.
Police said no casualties were reported in Gilgit-Baltistan due to timely intervention by authorities. The Pakistan Army was called in under Section 245 of the Pakistan Penal Code. Foreign tourists in the region were shifted to secure locations.
Protesters blocked the Karakoram Highway at several points in Hunza, Nagar and Gilgit, and staged sit-ins in Kharmang and other districts. Markets and businesses remained closed in multiple areas across the region.
Section 144 in Islamabad
In Islamabad, authorities imposed Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, banning all forms of public gatherings. Routes leading to the Red Zone were sealed, and strict legal action was warned against any violations.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited key areas in the capital to review security arrangements. While acknowledging the right to peaceful protest, he stressed that no one would be allowed to take the law into their own hands.
“Today is a sorrowful day for the Muslim ummah,” Naqvi said in a video statement, urging citizens to remain peaceful while expressing solidarity with Iran.