At least 22 people were killed and more than 120 injured in violent clashes across Pakistan on Sunday as demonstrators angered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran attempted to storm the US Consulate in Karachi, authorities said.
The unrest followed the reported killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, in the attacks.
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Karachi violence
In Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city and the capital of Sindh province, protesters briefly attacked the perimeter of the US Consulate, according to senior police official Irfan Baloch. Security forces later dispersed the crowd.
Police and hospital officials said at least 10 people died in clashes in the city. Summaiya Syed Tariq, a police surgeon at a government hospital, said six bodies were initially brought in, with the toll rising after four critically injured people died.
Authorities said protesters torched a nearby police post and smashed windows at the consulate compound, but denied reports that the building itself was set on fire. Dozens of young demonstrators, some with faces covered, threw stones at police as hundreds of officers and paramilitary personnel were deployed to secure the area.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi appealed for calm, urging citizens to protest peacefully and not take the law into their own hands.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “profound sorrow” over Khamenei’s death and conveyed condolences to Iran, saying Pakistan stood with the Iranian people “in this moment of grief”.
Deadly clashes in the north
In the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, 12 people were killed and more than 80 injured when thousands of demonstrators clashed with police, local official Asghar Ali said.
Protesters attacked the offices of the United Nations Military Observer Group and the United Nations Development Programme, as well as government buildings. Authorities said troops were deployed and the situation was brought under control. A government spokesman said all UN staff were safe.
Protests nationwide
The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan said it was monitoring demonstrations at consulates in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for protests at the embassy in Islamabad and the consulate in Peshawar. It advised US citizens to avoid large crowds and monitor local news.
In Islamabad, police fired tear gas and used batons to prevent protesters from reaching the US Embassy in the diplomatic enclave. Similar tactics were used in Peshawar and Lahore.
Authorities said security had been tightened around US diplomatic missions nationwide to prevent further violence.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now · Source · 01.03 2026
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