Rohit Kumar
NEW DELHI, Mar 1: At least 12 protesters were killed and more than 30 others injured in firing by United States Marine security personnel during violent clashes outside the United States Consulate in Karachi on Sunday after demonstrations erupted in different countries over killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei in the US – Israel air strike.
The firing was reported after protesters attempted to advance toward restricted areas of the diplomatic compound amid escalating unrest in Pakistan’s financial hub, Karachi. Pakistani authorities and US officials have not independently confirmed the reported casualty figures. Apart from Karachi, protests were also seen in Lahore, where demonstrators staged a sit-in outside the US consulate.
A doctor in the local civil hospital confirmed up to 10 deaths. Dr Sumaiya Syed said so far 10 bodies have been brought to the Civil Hospital, and some appeared to have bullet wounds. The protesters began gathering on the road leading to the consulate building as soon as the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader was confirmed in the ongoing Israeli and US strikes on Iran. Ms Syed said that around 30 injured persons are getting treatment at the hospital’s trauma centre. “The injured include four policemen,” she said.
The US embassy in Islamabad said it was monitoring the situation in Karachi and Lahore, as well as keeping an eye on calls for additional demonstrations at US Embassy Islamabad and Consulate General Peshawar. “We advise US citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news and observe good personal security practices, including being aware of your surroundings, avoiding large crowds, and ensuring your STEP registration is up to date,” the US embassy said in an X post.
Protests organized by Shia groups intensified near Karachi’s diplomatic zone, with demonstrators marching from Sultanabad towards Mai Kolachi while chanting slogans condemning Washington and Tel Aviv following Khamenei’s death.
Sindh Minister for Interior Ziaul Hasan Langar has requested immediate details from the Additional IG Karachi, stressing that “No one will be allowed to take the law into their own hands.” He called for enhanced security at sensitive installations. He added that alternative routes should be determined to maintain traffic flow during the protests. “Law enforcement agencies are fully alert and monitoring the situation closely,” the minister added.
The minister concluded that action would be taken against those disrupting law and order in accordance with the law. He further added that a judicial inquiry had been formed to ascertain the entire incident, but rebuked suggestions that those killed were hit by US Marines guarding the consulate. “What we know is that protesters turned violent and tried to break through the security cordon around the consulate and clashed with the police, and some of them were very violent due to which police had to respond accordingly,” he said on Sunday.
The US consulate is inside a fortified building on the Mai Kolachi road, which is also close to a Naval housing society, but is surrounded by low-income neighborhoods. Sources said some of the protesters had turned very violent and even attacked his volunteers and ambulances. The authorities have now closed down all roads leading to the consulate and announced alternate routes.
In its statement, the US Embassy in Islamabad said: “We are monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the US Consulate General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional demonstrations at the US Embassy in Islamabad and Consulate General Peshawar.
“We advise US citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news and observe good personal security practices, including being aware of your surroundings, avoiding large crowds, and ensuring your STEP (Smart Traveler Enrollment Programme) registration is up to date.” Shia organizations had announced a march towards the US Consulate in Karachi in protest of the Khamenei’s death and voiced their intention to march towards the mission.
Traffic police said routes leading to Numaish Chowrangi had been closed and alternative routes were being provided to motorists. Meanwhile, protests have also been reported in Islamabad and Lahore on Sunday following the assassination of Khamenei.
In Islamabad, Tehreek-e-Jafaria Pakistan announced a protest and a planned encirclement of the US Embassy. Authorities have responded by sealing the Red Zone and deploying additional personnel on all roads leading to it, the report added. Security checkpoints have been intensified, with every vehicle and motorcycle being thoroughly inspected. Armored vehicles and extra forces have also been deployed. The Islamabad Police urged citizens not to travel towards the Red Zone.
Authorities sealed major routes, including MT Khan Road and nearby intersections, after protesters gathered in large numbers. Police fired tear gas shells to disperse crowds after demonstrators allegedly hurled stones and attempted to breach barricades and set some parts of the consulate on fire.
Traffic police issued advisories urging commuters to avoid affected areas amid continuing unrest. As tensions escalated and protesters moved closer to the compound, US Marine security personnel stationed inside the consulate were placed on high alert. Pakistani media reports said the firing occurred after protesters allegedly attempted to breach security perimeters around the diplomatic facility, claiming that more than eight protesters were killed and over 30 others sustained injuries. The claims could not be independently verified.
Large protests were also reported in multiple cities across Pakistan. In Pakistan’s northern city of Skardu, protesters set fire to a United Nations office building in the otherwise peaceful Shia-majority Gilgit-Baltistan region, known for its Himalayan tourist routes. “A large number of protesters have gathered outside the UN office in GB and burned down the building,” local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir said adding that no casualties were reported.
Earlier in the day, crowds had gathered in several towns to mourn Khamenei and protest the reported strikes. In the central city of Lahore, hundreds of demonstrators assembled outside the US consulate, though authorities prevented escalation. Protesters also offered Zuhr prayers on the road leading to the diplomatic facility before raising slogans condemning the US strikes on Iran. Police maintained a heavy deployment around the consulate area, though no violence was reported during the gathering.
“Some of the protesters tried to damage the security gate, hundreds of yards away from the consulate; however, police stopped them without use of force,” eyewitnesses said. The protests come amid heightened regional tensions following the reported killing of Khamenei, an incident that has triggered demonstrations across parts of the Muslim world.
Pakistan has witnessed periodic protests linked to developments in Iran, particularly among Shia organizations, reflecting the wider geopolitical fallout from the escalating US-Iran-Israel confrontation. Security remained heightened across Karachi’s diplomatic enclave late Sunday, with additional law enforcement personnel deployed as authorities worked to restore order and prevent further unrest.
Pro-Iranian protesters also gathered in Baghdad after the announcement of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death, with security forces firing tear gas near the US Embassy to disperse the crowd. In Lahore, protests have continued outside the Press Club against Israel and the United States’ actions against Iran. Security at the US Consulate has been tightened, and fresh police units have arrived to reinforce the area.
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