At least 22 people were killed across Pakistan on Sunday and Monday as protests erupted following the deaths of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint U.S.-Israeli strike, according to reports from Pakistani officials and international news agencies.
The most violent clashes occurred in Karachi, where authorities reported at least 10 fatalities and over 70 injuries after protesters attempted to storm the U.S. Consulate. Security forces opened fire to disperse the crowds, according to Al Jazeera. Video footage circulating online, verified by Al Jazeera, showed wounded individuals being carried away from the scene.
Separate, deadly protests unfolded in the Gilgit-Baltistan region, where at least 12 people were killed and over 80 wounded, AFP reported. Protesters there targeted offices of the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme (UNDP), though a government spokesman, Shabir Mir, stated that all staff at those organizations were safe. Clashes with police continued in various locations throughout the region, with protesters also damaging a local charity and setting fire to police offices.
In the capital, Islamabad, police blocked roads leading to the Red Zone, which houses diplomatic missions including the U.S. Embassy and parliament, Reuters reported. Tear gas was deployed when hundreds of protesters attempted to march towards the diplomatic enclave.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “profound sorrow” over Khamenei’s death and extended condolences to Iran, his office stated. “Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in their loss,” Zardari said.
The violence comes amid heightened tensions following the U.S.-Israeli operation that killed Khamenei. The Times Now News reported that the strikes were a joint operation. The attack has sparked widespread condemnation and protests in Iran, with tens of thousands mourning the loss of their leader, according to reports.
Authorities at Karachi’s main government hospital confirmed receiving six bodies and multiple injured individuals on Sunday, with the death toll rising to 10 after four critically wounded people succumbed to their injuries, according to police surgeon Summaiya Syed Tariq.
The unrest is occurring at a time of existing economic strain in Pakistan. A spike in oil prices, potentially linked to regional instability, is expected to add further pressure to the country’s economy.
