KARACHI: Violent protests erupted in Pakistan’s Karachi on Sunday as demonstrators clashed with police while attempting to march towards the US consulate. The unrest was sparked by an Israeli strike in Lebanon that led to the death of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, according to a report by ARY News.
The protest was led by participants of Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM).
Following the killing of Nasrallah, several political-religious parties staged protests in different regions of Pakistan, including Karachi. To disperse the crowd, law enforcement used measures including lathi charges, tear gas shelling, and even aerial firing.
The protesters damaged two police vehicles and set a motorcycle on fire. The Station House Officer (SHO) Mach was seriously injured by stone pelting and was rushed to the hospital, ARY News reported.
Sindh Interior Minister Zia-ul-Hasan Linjar has urged for increased security measures to safeguard civilians and journalists, emphasising the need for additional police deployment to restore order in the region.
Notably, the Israeli Defence Forces had launched precision strikes on the Lebanese capital in Beirut on Friday, which led to the death of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah.
Following the death of Nasrallah, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a warning to Iran’s Ayatollah regime and asserted that those who target Israel will face ‘consequences’ and that “no location” in Iran or the Middle East is “beyond Israel’s reach.”
Netanyahu called Nasrallah the “main engine of Iran’s axis of evil” and added, “Nasrallah was not just another terrorist, he was the terrorist. He was the axis of the axis, the main engine of Iran’s axis of evil. He and his people were the architects of the plan to destroy Israel. He was not only operated by Iran, he also frequently operated Iran.”
The ongoing conflict in Gaza has spiralled in the region with repeated strikes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah. The escalating situation in the Middle East has raised concerns, following which many players have called for a ceasefire. (ANI)