At Least 25 Killed at Pakistan's Weekend Pro-Iran Protests
Last update: March 2, 2026
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Clashes erupt in Karachi, Gilgit Baltistan and Islamabad as markets tumble and curfews imposed.
The death toll from violent weekend protests in Pakistan over the killing of Iran’s supreme leader in joint United States and Israeli strikes has risen to at least 25, according to a tally released on Monday.
Demonstrations over the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei broke out in several major cities, including Karachi, where hundreds of protesters attempted to storm American diplomatic buildings and clashed with police.
At least 10 people were killed and more than 70 injured in Karachi, according to the office of the city’s police surgeon. Hospital figures seen by newsmen indicated that nine of the victims died from gunshot wounds.
In the northern Gilgit Baltistan region, officials said at least 13 people were killed in confrontations between protesters and police.
A rescue official reported seven deaths in Gilgit, while a doctor confirmed that six others died in Skardu.
Authorities have imposed a late night curfew in Gilgit and Skardu until Wednesday, with the army deployed to patrol the streets.
Two more people were killed in the capital Islamabad as thousands gathered, many carrying portraits of Khamenei. On Sunday afternoon, journalists saw police firing tear gas to disperse crowds near the diplomatic enclave that houses the United States embassy.
The unrest also rattled financial markets. Pakistan’s benchmark KSE 100 Index plunged 9.6 percent on Monday, shedding 16,089 points in what Karachi based Topline Securities described as its highest ever single day fall.
CBI News reports that Israel and the United States launched military operations against Iran on Saturday, killing Khamenei and triggering anger in neighbouring Pakistan.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who maintains close ties with both Washington and Tehran, said on Sunday that the killing amounted to a violation of international law.
