At least 10 people were killed and several injured on Sunday after violent clashes erupted between security forces and demonstrators attempting to storm the United States Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city.
The unrest followed the reported killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who Iranian state media said died on Saturday in a joint US-Israeli air strike amid escalating military action against Iran.
According to Dr Sumaiya Syed, Police Surgeon for Sindh, 10 bodies were brought to Civil Hospital Karachi, with several victims appearing to have sustained bullet wounds. As many as 30 injured individuals are currently being treated at the hospital’s trauma centre, including four police officers.
Senior Superintendent of Police Asad Reza said protesters turned violent and attacked officers, prompting police to respond with tear gas shells and rubber bullets. Authorities also used baton charges to disperse the crowd. However, some protesters alleged in media interviews that live ammunition had been fired at them.
Large numbers of demonstrators had gathered along the road leading to the heavily fortified US Consulate building on Mai Kolachi Road. Witnesses said the crowd attempted to breach security barriers surrounding the compound, resulting in direct confrontations with police personnel stationed outside.
Sindh Interior Minister Ziaul Hasan Langar sought an immediate report from the Additional Inspector General of Karachi, emphasising that no individual or group would be permitted to take the law into their own hands. He called for heightened security measures at sensitive installations and instructed officials to designate alternative traffic routes to prevent gridlock during demonstrations.
“Law enforcement agencies are fully alert and closely monitoring the situation,” the minister said, adding that legal action would be taken against anyone found responsible for disturbing public order. He also announced the formation of a judicial inquiry to determine the sequence of events, while dismissing claims that US Marines guarding the consulate were responsible for the fatalities.
“What we know at this stage is that protesters became violent and attempted to break through the security cordon. Police responded according to the situation,” he stated.
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The consulate is located within a fortified compound near a naval housing society but is bordered by densely populated, lower-income neighbourhoods. Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Welfare Trust reported that some demonstrators attacked ambulances and volunteers attempting to assist the injured.
Authorities subsequently sealed roads leading to the consulate and introduced alternate traffic routes. Traffic police confirmed closures around Numaish Chowrangi and urged motorists to follow diversions.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Islamabad said it was monitoring demonstrations at the US Consulate General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as reports of planned protests near the US Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Peshawar. The embassy advised American citizens in Pakistan to stay alert, avoid large gatherings, and ensure their Smart Traveller Enrollment Programme (STEP) registration is current.
Shia organisations had earlier announced plans to march toward the Karachi consulate to protest Khamenei’s death. Similar demonstrations were reported in Islamabad and Lahore.
In Islamabad, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan called for a protest and an attempted encirclement of the US Embassy. In response, authorities sealed off the Red Zone and deployed additional security forces along access routes. Security checkpoints were intensified, with vehicles and motorcycles subjected to thorough inspections. Armoured vehicles were also stationed in key locations, and Islamabad Police urged residents to avoid the area.
Section 144 was imposed across the capital, prohibiting all public gatherings. The district administration warned that strict legal action would be taken against anyone participating in protests or assemblies in violation of the order.
In Lahore, protests continued outside the Press Club, where demonstrators condemned US and Israeli actions against Iran. Security around the US Consulate was reinforced, and additional police units were deployed. Protesters staged a sit-in, carrying placards bearing Khamenei’s image and chanting anti-US slogans, while anti-riot forces maintained a heavy presence at the site.
US and Israeli officials described the strike that killed Khamenei as part of one of the most extensive military campaigns against Iran in decades. Iranian state media confirmed the 86-year-old leader’s death on Saturday, triggering widespread unrest across parts of Pakistan.
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