Protests erupt near US Consulate in Karachi; protesters clash with law enforcement – Pakistan

Protests turned violent near the US Consulate on Karachi’s Mai Kolachi Road on Sunday.

According to a statement by the Edhi Rescue service, law enforcement personnel resorted to teargas shelling and baton-charging to control the situation, resulting in “injuries to several” people.

An Edhi ambulance took the injured to Civil Hospital Karachi.

The protests follow the assassination of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Saturday’s coordinated US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.

Khamenei became Iran’s highest authority in 1989, following the death of the Islamic Republic’s founder, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. He ruled the country for over 30 years.

In an update issued at around 11am, Karachi Traffic Police said both sides of the road from Sultanabad Traffic Section towards Mai Kolachi were closed for traffic due to a protest.

Providing alternative routes, it said traffic from Jinnah Bridge was being sent towards I.I. Chundrigar Road, vehicles coming from Boat Basin were being U-turned from Mai Kolachi Phatak and sent back, and those coming from PIDC were being sent back from Park Cut.

The traffic police urged the public to call Traffic Helpline 1915 for alternative routes to avoid inconvenience. “Traffic police are present and managing the flow of traffic,” it added.

This is a developing story that is being updated as the situation evolves. Initial reports in the media can sometimes be inaccurate. We will strive to ensure timeliness and accuracy by relying on credible sources, such as concerned, qualified authorities and our staff reporters.