A leading international human rights organization has expressed serious worries over the deaths of 26 individuals in protests that swept Pakistan following the assassination of Iranian Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Amnesty International has urged for a thorough investigation into the fatalities, injuries, and the use of force by security forces during the March 1 demonstrations. Reports suggest that 10 people died and 96 were wounded outside the US Consulate in Karachi after protesters breached the premises, leading to the use of gunfire against them.
The rights body mentioned that two protesters were killed and more than 30 were injured near the Diplomatic Enclave in Islamabad, with protesters reporting the use of kinetic impact projectiles and tear gas canisters. Furthermore, Amnesty International reported that 14 individuals, including a soldier, lost their lives in the Skardu region of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan (PoGB) where protesters also set fire to the office of the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), a school, and some municipal offices.
Babu Ram Pant, Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, condemned the incidents, emphasizing the need for security forces to respect the right of protesters to assemble peacefully and express dissent, even in tense situations. Pant stressed the importance of using force judiciously and proportionately, only against those engaged in violence, and called for restraint from Pakistani authorities to prevent further harm during future protests. He also highlighted the obligation of authorities to ensure the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and called for a comprehensive investigation to provide justice to the affected families and injured individuals.
