Several key roads in Karachi, Pakistan, have been closed to traffic for the fourth consecutive day due to security measures following protests triggered by the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The protests outside the US Consulate in Karachi resulted in 11 fatalities and numerous injuries. Traffic police have implemented barriers and deployed personnel to control movement, with roads like Jinnah Bridge and Mai Kolachi being blocked.
Barriers have also been set up on the Jinnah Bridge to halt traffic flow, while the Boat Basin to Mai Kolachi Road has been sealed off as part of the security protocol. Residents in affected areas are permitted entry or exit upon presenting identification. The demonstrations spread across various parts of Pakistan after Khamenei’s demise, with protesters in Karachi breaching the US Consulate’s perimeter and causing property damage, leading to casualties.
In Lahore, a large group gathered outside the consulate, resulting in clashes when police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. Meanwhile, in Islamabad, despite roadblocks and heavy security presence, protesters tried to march towards the embassy. The United States has instructed non-essential government employees and their families from consulates in Lahore and Karachi to leave Pakistan due to safety concerns, as stated in an official announcement on March 4.
The US Embassy in Pakistan disclosed that non-essential personnel and their families from the two missions were directed to depart due to safety reasons, while clarifying that the status of the US Embassy in Islamabad remains unchanged. In response to the ongoing unrest, visa appointments at the US Embassy in Islamabad and consulates in Lahore and Karachi have been canceled until March 6, as confirmed in a statement released by the US Embassy.
