Islamabad/Karachi — Updated at 07:33 AM, Mar 02, 2026 IST
At least 23 people were killed Sunday in violent clashes and arson across Pakistani cities as protesters reacted to the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader in an alleged US-Israeli airstrike on Tehran. The attacks touched multiple locations and intensified tensions among Pakistan’s Shiite community, which makes up roughly 20% of the country’s 240 million population.
Ten people died in Karachi after demonstrators breached the outer wall of the US Consulate. Witnesses said consulate security fired when the crowd pushed past the initial security perimeter; gunfire and tear gas were reported in nearby streets. Demonstrators burned a vehicle outside the main gate and chanted slogans including ‘Death to America! Death to Israel!’ Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani, a local government spokesman, said consulate staff were safe.
In Skardu, 11 people were killed when a crowd set fire to a UN office. Two people were killed in Islamabad amid separate protests. Police reported 34 people injured nationwide. Karachi’s Civil Hospital said many of the dead and wounded had gunshot wounds. The Sindh provincial government has ordered an inquiry into the violence in Karachi.
The US Embassy in Islamabad said it was monitoring demonstrations and urged US citizens to follow standard security guidance. Elsewhere in the region, Iraqi police used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of pro-Iranian protesters near Baghdad’s Green Zone, where the US Embassy is located.
Pakistan and Iraq have the largest Shiite populations after Iran, and both countries have seen heightened demonstrations in response to developments in Tehran. Authorities in affected Pakistani cities increased security deployments as investigations into the incidents began.
