By Emmanuel Bobby
Pakistani authorities deployed troops and imposed a three-day curfew before dawn Monday in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after violent protests left multiple people dead and dozens injured, officials said. The unrest followed U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
In the mountainous Gilgit-Baltistan region, thousands of Shiite demonstrators stormed government and international offices Sunday. Protesters attacked facilities linked to the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), which monitors the ceasefire in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, as well as offices of the United Nations Development Programme in Skardu.
Authorities said protesters vandalized a UNMOGIP field station, burned a police station in Gilgit, and damaged a school and a local charity’s offices. Police reported that at least 12 people were killed and 80 others injured in the northern region.
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said demonstrators turned violent near the UNMOGIP field station. “The safety and security of U.N. personnel and premises throughout the region remain our top priority, and we continue to closely monitor the situation,” he said.
Shabir Mir, a Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesperson, said Monday that the situation was under control and that the curfew would remain in effect through Wednesday. Regional police chief Akbar Nasir Khan urged residents to stay indoors, citing “deteriorating law and order conditions.”
U.S. Diplomatic Missions Targeted
The unrest spread beyond the north.
In the southern port city of Karachi, protesters stormed the U.S. Consulate General Karachi on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to set the building ablaze. Police responded with batons, tear gas and gunfire. Officials said 10 people were killed and more than 50 injured in the clashes.
In Islamabad, one person was killed during confrontations as demonstrators attempted to march toward the Embassy of the United States Islamabad.
The U.S. Embassy and its consulates in Karachi and Lahore canceled visa appointments and American Citizen Services on Monday due to security concerns. Pakistani authorities increased security at U.S. diplomatic facilities nationwide, including the consulate building in Peshawar, in an effort to prevent further violence.
Markets Plunge Amid Geopolitical Tensions
The turmoil also rattled financial markets. The Pakistan Stock Exchange saw its benchmark KSE-100 Index plunge nearly 10% Monday, as investors reacted to mounting geopolitical uncertainty tied to the strikes on Iran and regional instability.
Analysts said widespread selling across sectors reflected fears that the conflict could further destabilize Pakistan’s fragile economy.
Rising Sectarian Anger and Border Clashes
Anger has been building in Pakistan, particularly among members of the country’s Shiite minority, over the killing of Khamenei and other senior Iranian officials. Although Shiites are a minority nationwide, they form a majority in parts of Gilgit-Baltistan and in districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, which borders Afghanistan.
Sunday’s unrest also comes amid escalating cross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The clashes began Thursday after Afghanistan launched attacks in response to Pakistani airstrikes the previous weekend. Pakistan has since conducted repeated military operations along the border.
With troops deployed, curfews in place and diplomatic missions on high alert, authorities are bracing for further unrest as tensions linked to the widening Middle East conflict reverberate across South Asia.
Original article
Comments