Troops were deployed after crowds tried to breach U.S. diplomatic sites and clashes spread nationwide.
KARACHI, PAKISTAN — Violent protests outside the U.S. Consulate in Pakistan’s largest city left at least 22 people dead Sunday, officials said, after crowds angry over upheaval in Iran tried to push past police lines and security forces fired to keep demonstrators from entering the compound.
The unrest, which Pakistani officials said erupted in multiple cities within hours, tested security at U.S. diplomatic sites and turned into a wider outpouring of anger tied to fast-moving events in the Middle East. Pakistan tightened protection around the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and consulates nationwide as authorities tried to stop more crowds from gathering. While many rallies were peaceful, officials said attacks on police posts and public offices, plus the deaths and injuries, raised fears of more violence and a longer period of unrest.
In Karachi, hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the consulate in the upscale Clifton area and surged toward the outer security perimeter, police officials said. Officers in riot gear used tear gas and batons to push people back, but witnesses said some protesters hurled stones and tried to pull down barriers. As the crowd pressed closer, security personnel opened fire, officials said, and ambulances rushed the wounded to city hospitals. Faisal Edhi, who helps run the Edhi welfare and ambulance network, said bodies and injured people kept arriving for hours as clashes flared at several points around the neighborhood.
Sukhdew Assardas Hamnani, a spokesperson for the provincial government in Sindh, said at least 10 people were killed in Karachi and dozens were hurt, including some in critical condition. Police said several officers were also injured. Authorities said protesters damaged parts of the consulate’s perimeter and set a nearby police post on fire, but they did not confirm that anyone entered the main consulate building. U.S. officials did not immediately release details about injuries among personnel, and Pakistani officials said they were focused on restoring order and keeping protesters away from the compound.
Outside Karachi, officials said deadly clashes and attacks on offices broke out as demonstrations spread. In the northern region of Gilgit-Baltistan, officials said protesters set fire to a U.N. office and attacked other government buildings. In Skardu, authorities reported multiple deaths after police confronted a crowd near public offices, and local officials said they were still verifying identities and causes of death. In Islamabad, police said officers used tear gas to disperse demonstrators who tried to march toward high-security areas. In Peshawar, officials said thousands gathered and some tried to approach the U.S. consulate there before police pushed them back. In Lahore and other cities, smaller rallies continued through the day, and officials warned that any attempt to attack diplomatic sites would be met with force.
The protests were triggered by shock and anger after reports of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian announcements about the death of Iran’s top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Many demonstrators in Pakistan, home to one of the world’s largest Shiite populations, carried black flags and chanted slogans condemning the United States and Israel. Religious and political groups called for protests, and in several places organizers urged people to stay in the streets until Pakistan’s government took a stronger stand. President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi issued statements urging calm and warning against attacks on public property, while also expressing condolences to Iranians and describing regional events as deeply alarming.
Pakistan has seen anti-U.S. protests in the past, especially during regional wars and after high-profile military actions, but officials said Sunday’s violence was unusually widespread and deadly. Karachi, a city of more than 20 million people, has a long history of politically charged demonstrations that can quickly turn confrontational, and the consulate’s location in a dense commercial area makes crowd control difficult. Security officials said the rapid spread of protests, and the mix of organized groups and angry young men acting on their own, overwhelmed police in some places before reinforcements arrived.
Authorities said they were investigating who organized the attempts to breach the consulate perimeter and whether any armed individuals were in the crowd. Police said they detained dozens of people in Karachi and were reviewing videos from security cameras and media footage to identify suspects accused of arson and attacks on officers. Hospital officials said they were still tallying the wounded, many of whom suffered gunshot injuries, fractures, and cuts from stones and broken glass. In some cities, officials said curbs on gatherings were being considered, and local administrations warned that anyone found carrying weapons or incendiary materials could face serious charges.
Diplomatic and security officials said Pakistan’s immediate focus was to prevent a repeat of Sunday’s scene outside U.S. facilities. Troops were deployed to reinforce police near sensitive buildings, and paramilitary Rangers were visible at checkpoints around Karachi’s consulate district. Authorities said extra patrols were sent to neighborhoods where large rallies were expected after evening prayers, and mobile phone service was reported to be unstable in some areas as officials tried to manage crowds. U.S. diplomatic staff in Pakistan were advised to limit movements, and Pakistani officials said they remained in contact with U.S. representatives about security steps.
On the streets outside the Karachi consulate, the scene was tense even after the heaviest clashes eased. Shopkeepers pulled down metal shutters as sirens echoed through side roads, and small groups of protesters regrouped and shouted slogans from behind police lines. “They fired at us,” said one young man who said he had come with friends and then ran when shooting started. A senior Karachi police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media, said officers faced a fast-moving crowd and were trying to avoid a wider breakdown. “Our job is to keep them from reaching the mission,” he said. “We are also trying to stop damage to the city.”
By late Sunday, officials said the nationwide death toll remained at least 22, though some local reports suggested it could be higher as hospitals updated casualty lists. Police said more arrests were expected overnight, and the Interior Ministry said a new security assessment for diplomatic sites would be completed Monday. Officials said they would announce any curfews, bans on rallies, or court dates for suspects as investigations continue.
Author note: Last updated March 1, 2026.