Large-Scale Pro-Iran Demonstrations Occur in Pakistan, 9 Killed at US Consulate in Karachi
At least nine people were killed near the United States consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, after protests erupted following the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Several others were injured when security forces opened fire to disperse hundreds of pro-Iran demonstrators who attempted to storm the consulate on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed told Al Jazeera that at least nine bodies had been brought to Karachi’s civil hospital. Video footage shared online and verified by Al Jazeera showed injured persons being carried by people at the scene. Other images depicted demonstrators attempting to breach the US consular building located on Mai Kolachi Road in the city.
Large-scale protest actions also occurred in various other regions of Pakistan. Demonstrators set fire to the United Nations office building in Skardu, in northern Pakistan, in the Gilgit Baltistan region whose population is predominantly Shia Muslim, known for its popular Himalayan peaks.
“A large number of demonstrators gathered outside the UN office in the British territory and set the building on fire,” said local government spokesperson Shabbir Mir, speaking to Reuters, adding that no deaths had been reported.
In Lahore city centre, hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside the US consulate, though there were no reports of violence. “Some protesters attempted to damage the security gate, which is hundreds of metres from the consulate. However, police stopped them without using force,” said witness Aqeel Raza, speaking to Reuters.
Demonstrations are expected to occur near the diplomatic zone housing the US embassy in the capital Islamabad on Sunday afternoon.
Protests over Khamenei’s assassination also erupted in various other locations worldwide, including Iraq, Morocco, and Indian-administered Kashmir. Pro-Iran demonstrators gathered outside the Green Zone in Iraq’s capital Baghdad, where the US embassy is located.