Pakistani authorities deployed troops and imposed a three-day curfew before dawn Monday in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after several people died and dozens were injured in violent protests following the killing of Irans supreme leaderAyatollah Ali Khameneiin US-Israeli strikes, officials said.
Thousands ofShiitedemonstrators attacked on Sunday the offices of the UN Military Observer Group, which monitors the ceasefire along the disputed Himalayan region ofKashmir, and theUNDevelopment Programme in Skardu city.
Protesters also burned a police station and damaged a school and the offices of a local charity in Gilgit, according to officials. At least 12 people were killed and 80 others injured, said police in the Gilgit-Baltistan region.
UN spokesman Stphane Dujarric said Monday protesters became violent near the UNMOGIP Field Station, which was vandalized. The safety and security of UN personnel and premises throughout the region remain our top priority, and we continue to closely monitor the situation, Dujarric said.
Meanwhile, Shabir Mir, a Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesman, said Monday the situation was under control and that the curfew would remain in place until Wednesday. Police chief Akbar Nasir Khan urged residents to stay indoors, citing deteriorating law and order conditions.
Demonstrators inPakistan's southern port city ofKarachistormed the US Consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to burn the building. Police responded with batons, tear gas, and gunfire, leaving 10 people dead and more than 50 injured.
Read moreAt least 9 killed as protesters storm US Consulate in Pakistan
One person was also killed in clashes inIslamabadduring an attempted Shiite march toward the US Embassy.The US Embassy and its consulates in Karachi and Lahore canceled visa appointments and American Citizen Services on Monday, citing security concerns. Pakistani authorities have beefed up security at US diplomatic missions across the country, including around the US consulate building in Peshawar, to avoid any further violence.
Also Monday, the Pakistan Stock Exchange plunged, with the benchmark KSE-100 Index falling nearly 10% amid rising geopolitical tensions following attacks on Iran. Investors sold off shares across sectors, with analysts citing heightened uncertainty as the main driver behind the sharp decline.
Anger has been rising in Pakistan, particularly among members of the Shiite minority, following US and Israeli strikes on Iran that killed Khamenei and other senior officials. While Shiites are a minority nationwide, they form a majority in some northern districts and in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borderingAfghanistan.
Sundays unrest came amid ongoingcross-border fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which began Thursday after Afghanistan launched attacks in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes the previous Sunday. Pakistan has since carried out repeated operations along the border.
(FRANCE 24 with AP)
Originally published on France24
