Deadly Protests Erupt Across Pakistan Following Iranian Leader’s Death

At least 22 people have been killed and more than 120 injured as violent protests erupted across Pakistan on Sunday, with demonstrators attempting to storm the U.S. Consulate in Karachi and attacking U.N. offices in the country’s northern region following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The violence was triggered by U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran that reportedly killed Khamenei. President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan expressed “profound sorrow over the martyrdom” of the Iranian leader and conveyed condolences, stating: “Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in their loss.”

In Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, police surgeon Summaiya Syed Tariq confirmed that at least 10 people died at the city’s main government hospital, where dozens of wounded were also treated. Many of the injured remain in critical condition.

Irfan Baloch, a senior police official in Karachi, said protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the U.S. Consulate before security forces dispersed them. While he denied reports that any part of the consulate building was set on fire, he confirmed that protesters had torched a nearby police post and smashed consulate windows before authorities regained control.

“Protests in the area surrounding the consulate continued for hours, with dozens of youth, some covering their faces, throwing stones at law enforcement officials and vowing to reach the consulate,” Baloch said. Hundreds of police and paramilitary officers were deployed to secure the diplomatic facility.

The northern Gilgit-Baltistan region saw even deadlier violence, with 12 people killed and over 80 wounded when thousands of demonstrators attacked offices of the U.N. Military Observer Group and the U.N. Development Programme, according to local police official Asghar Ali.

Shabir Mir, a government spokesman in the region, confirmed that all U.N. staff members were safe despite the attacks. He said protesters had clashed with police at various locations throughout the region, damaged offices of a local charity, and set fire to police facilities. Troops were deployed to restore order.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued an urgent 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, while urging citizens to express their protests peacefully and not take the law into their own hands.

The Sindh provincial government echoed this sentiment, calling on citizens to express their views peacefully and warning against engaging in violence.

Protests were not limited to Karachi and the northern regions. In Islamabad, police fired tear gas and used batons as hundreds of protesters attempted to march toward the U.S. Embassy. The clashes took place outside the city’s diplomatic enclave, where additional police had been deployed to protect foreign missions.

In the northwestern city of Peshawar, authorities also deployed tear gas and batons to disperse thousands of demonstrators approaching the U.S. Consulate. Meanwhile, protesters in Multan, a city in Punjab province, held a peaceful rally, chanting slogans against Israel and the United States.

Mamoona Sherazi, who attended one of the rallies, expressed her opposition to Khamenei’s killing, declaring: “God willing, we will never bow before America and Israel.”

In Lahore, the capital of eastern Punjab province, protesters also clashed repeatedly with police near the U.S. Consulate. In response to the nationwide unrest, the Pakistani government has increased security around the U.S. Embassy in the capital and consulates throughout the country.

The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan issued a statement on social media platform X that it was monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at U.S. diplomatic facilities across the country. It advised American citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news, stay aware of their surroundings, avoid large crowds, and ensure their travel registration with the U.S. government remained updated.

The widespread protests highlight the deep tensions in the region following the U.S. and Israeli military action against Iran, and underscore Pakistan’s complex relationship with its neighboring countries and the United States during times of international crisis.