At least 12 Pakistani citizens were killed in Karachi by Marine Security Guards stationed inside the United States Consulate on Mai Kolachi Road. This incident adds to a series of similar events on Pakistani soil. Instead of seeking accountability, Islamabad has chosen to manage the diplomatic fallout. The violence followed protests over the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in a joint US-Israel strike.
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, in a public address, did not mention the shootings. He declared the day as a day of mourning for the Muslim Ummah and urged citizens not to take the law into their own hands. Sindh province Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah termed the Consulate deaths as “extremely regrettable” and ordered an investigation, despite lacking the authority to probe a foreign military contingent under diplomatic protection. He spent the day contacting religious leaders to pacify the public.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Khamenei’s assassination as a violation of international law. However, he also expressed concern over Pakistani protesters damaging US consulate property. The Pakistani Foreign Office remained silent on the killings, failing to file a demarche with the US Embassy or summon the US ambassador for accountability. The report highlighted the government’s denouncement of its citizens protesting against foreign forces killing Pakistanis on its soil, raising questions about the authorities’ priorities.
