IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT MARRIED THAT IS WHY YOU DO NOT HAVE MONEY- CLERGYMAN, KINGSLEY OKONKWO, TELLS SINGLE MEN.(PHOTO).
At least nine people were killed and around two dozen more wounded Sunday after hundreds of protesters clashed with police and paramilitary forces while storming the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city, officials said. The violence followed hours after the United States and Israel carried out an attack on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Authorities reported that some of the wounded were in critical condition.
Police surgeon Summaiya Syed Tariq confirmed that six bodies and multiple injured individuals were initially brought to the city’s main government hospital, with the death toll rising to nine after three critically wounded individuals died. Senior police official Irfan Baloch said protesters briefly breached the consulate’s perimeter but were dispersed before causing major damage to the building. He confirmed that a nearby police post was set on fire and the windows of the consulate were smashed. Witnesses described dozens of Shiite protesters gathering nearby, chanting slogans and encouraging others to join them before security forces regained control.
The U.S. Embassy in Pakistan warned citizens to stay alert, avoid large gatherings, and monitor local news amid reports of ongoing demonstrations at consulates in Karachi and Lahore, and planned protests at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and the Consulate General in Peshawar. Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged calm, describing the day as one of mourning for both Iran and Pakistan, and calling on citizens to protest peacefully. The provincial government of Sindh also appealed for nonviolent demonstrations.
Outside Karachi, Shiite groups held rallies in Multan and Lahore, chanting against the United States and Israel. Participants described Khamenei as a fatherly figure and a strong voice for Shiites, with some also noting his support for oppressed Sunni Muslims. Security was increased around the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad and consulates nationwide to prevent further unrest. Shiites make up roughly 15% of Pakistan’s population of about 250 million, and while anti-U.S. and anti-Israel rallies are common, clashes of this scale remain rare.
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