Agencies | Karachi:
At least 10 people were killed and several others injured on Sunday after violent clashes erupted between protesters and police outside the US Consulate in Pakistan’s port city of Karachi. The unrest followed confirmation of the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, in US–Israel air strikes.
Dr. Sumaiya Syed of Civil Hospital Karachi said 10 bodies had been brought to the facility, some bearing bullet wounds. Around 30 injured individuals, including four policemen, are undergoing treatment at the hospital’s trauma centre.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Asad Reza, demonstrators gathered along the road leading to the fortified consulate on Mai Kolachi Road soon after news of Khamenei’s death broke. As sections of the crowd allegedly turned violent and attempted to breach the security cordon, police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges to disperse them. Some protesters, however, claimed that live rounds were also fired.
Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hasan Langar sought an immediate report from senior police officials, asserting that “no one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.” He ordered enhanced security at sensitive installations and directed authorities to arrange alternative traffic routes to manage disruptions. A judicial inquiry has been constituted to investigate the incident. The minister dismissed allegations that US Marines guarding the consulate were involved in the firing, stating that available information indicated police responded after protesters attempted to break through the perimeter.
The US Consulate, located in a high-security zone near a naval housing society and surrounded by densely populated neighbourhoods, remained under heavy security as authorities sealed roads leading to the area.
Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Welfare Trust reported that some protesters attacked ambulances and volunteers responding to the violence.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Islamabad said it was closely monitoring demonstrations at its consulates in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for protests near the US Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate in Peshawar. It advised US citizens in Pakistan to avoid large crowds and review security precautions.
Protests were also reported in Islamabad and Lahore. In the capital, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan announced plans to march towards the US Embassy, prompting authorities to seal the Red Zone, intensify security checks and enforce Section 144, which prohibits public gatherings. In Lahore, demonstrators staged a sit-in outside the Press Club, raising anti-US and anti-Israel slogans while police maintained a strong security presence around the US Consulate.
The United States and Israel have stated that the air strike that killed Khamenei was part of a broader campaign targeting Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure. Iranian state media confirmed the 86-year-old leader’s death on Saturday, further inflaming tensions across the region.
