ISLAMABAD: Hundreds of minority Shiites rallied Friday in Pakistan's capital and elsewhere in the country to denounce the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli strikes, as the US Embassy In Islamabad issued a security alert warning Americans of possible violence.
Amid heavy police presence, about 300 protesters staged a sit-in in Islamabad, holding posters of Khamenei and chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Islamabad police had parked shipping containers on roads leading to the US Embassy in Islamabad to prevent any potential escalation.
Pakistani authorities said the protesters had agreed not to march toward the embassy in Islamabad, located about 3 kilometres from the sit-in. The protesters planned to end their sit-in later Friday.
Khamenei, who ruled Iran since 1989, has long been a central religious and political figure for Shiites worldwide, including in Pakistan. His death in a joint US-Israeli operation at the start of the war last week sparked outrage among many Shiites.
Security was also been beefed up in the port city of Karachi, where hundreds of Shiites stormed the US Consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to set the building on fire. Police used batons, tear gas, and live fire to disperse the crowd. The violence left 10 protesters dead in Karachi, and at least 13 were killed in northern cities, including Skardu and Gilgit.
In Karachi, Shiite protesters gathered on Friday some 4 kilometres from the consulate.
Separately, smaller groups of Sunni protesters also rallied in Islamabad and Karachi on Friday against the US-Israeli war with Iran. The protests were held far from the US diplomatic missions. No violence was reported.
In a security alert ahead of the demonstrations, the US Embassy in Islamabad urged Americans in the country to limit their movement outside. Also, an updated advisory warned US citizens against travel to Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir due to risks of “terrorism and kidnapping”.
Shiites make up roughly 15 per cent of Pakistan's population of about 250 million, the majority of whom are Sunni Muslims.