Tensions flared in Karachi, Pakistan on Sunday as protesters clashed with police during demonstrations condemning Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah. The protesters, organized by the religiopolitical party Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM), aimed to express their outrage over the incident. Their planned route, however, took an unexpected turn when they deviated from the agreed-upon path and attempted to march towards the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi road.
This deviation prompted police intervention to maintain law and order. Senior Police official Asad Reza explained that the protesters became violent when stopped by police and reminded of their agreed peaceful route. “When stopped by the police and reminded of their agreed route to peacefully protest, some of them turned violent and started pelting stones at the police in which some policemen were injured,” Raza stated.
Eye-witnesses reported that the protesters began their rally from the Old Numaish roundabout and marched along the main MA Jinnah Road. As they descended from the Native Jetty Bridge and attempted to approach the US Consulate, police contingents stationed there prevented them from moving further. To disperse the crowd, police resorted to tear gas shells and baton charges, removing temporary barriers erected by the protesters, including women and children.
The demonstration wasn’t without consequences for the media. Journalists covering the rally in Karachi reported that some of their reporters and photographers were also beaten and injured by the protesters.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Foreign Office condemned what it called Israel’s growing “adventurism” and “unbridled attacks” against unarmed civilians in West Asia. In a statement, the Foreign Office declared that the “reckless act of killing the Secretary General of Hezbollah” constituted a significant escalation in an already volatile region. They pledged solidarity with the people of Lebanon and urged the United Nations Security Council to restrain Israel from its actions and restore peace in the Middle East.
Following Nasrallah’s death in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday, Hezbollah responded by firing new fusillades of rockets into Israel, while Iran vowed revenge for his death.
