Tragic Unrest: 22 Fatalities and Over 120 Injured Amid Attempted Breach of US Consulate in Pakistan

In Karachi, Pakistan’s bustling port city, a wave of violence erupted on Sunday as pro-Iranian demonstrators clashed with security forces. These confrontations resulted in the tragic deaths of at least 22 individuals and left over 120 others injured, according to local authorities. The unrest was fueled by the demonstrators’ attempts to breach the U.S. Consulate, a move that intensified the already volatile situation.

Simultaneously, in the northern regions of Pakistan, protesters targeted U.N. and government installations, adding to the chaos and widespread disorder. These demonstrations were sparked by the recent military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran, which led to the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The aftermath of these events reverberated across Pakistan, causing significant unrest.

In Karachi, the local police and hospital officials reported that at least 50 individuals sustained injuries during the confrontations, with some in critical condition. The city’s main government hospital, where many of the injured were treated, confirmed that six bodies were initially brought in. However, the death toll later climbed to 10 as four more critically injured individuals succumbed to their wounds, as confirmed by police surgeon Summaiya Syed Tariq.

Responding to the turmoil, President Asif Ali Zardari expressed deep sorrow over the death of Khamenei, extending his sympathies to Iran. In a statement from his office, he remarked, “Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in their loss,” underscoring the solidarity felt by many in Pakistan in the wake of these events.

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.

Twelve people were killed and over 80 wounded in clashes with police in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region when thousands of Shiite 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.

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 as baseless 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.

Witnesses said that dozens of Shiite protesters remained gathered about a kilometer (half-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.

Appeal for calm

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.

He described it as “a day of mourning for the Muslim Ummah and for the people of both Iran and Pakistan,” but urged people not to take the law into their own hands and to express their protests peacefully.

The provincial government of Sindh in a statement also urged citizens to express their views peacefully and warned against engaging in violence.

Protests in the area surrounding the U.S. Consulate in Karachi went on for hours, with dozens of Shiite youth, some covering their faces, throwing stones at law enforcement officials and vowing to reach the consulate, where hundreds of police and paramilitary Rangers have been deployed.

Security raised at US embassy and consulates

In Islamabad, police fired tear gas and swung batons as hundreds of Shiite protesters, angered by the killing of Khamenei, tried to march toward the U.S. Embassy. The clashes took place outside the 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 to denounce the killing of the Iranian leader, police said.

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 that she was protesting Khamenei’s killing. She described him 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 and clashes with police repeatedly near the U.S. Consulate in Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, police said. Rallies against Israel and the United States were also planned in northern Gilgit-Baltistan region. 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.

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.