 "A woman holds a picture of Lebanon's Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah as she attends a protest following the announcement of his death. - Representational Image- Reuters")
Stone-throwing protesters in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi clashed on Sunday with police who stopped them from reaching the U.S. consulate during demonstrations over Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
The protesters were participating in a rally organised by the religiopolitical party Majlis Wahdat Muslimeen (MWM) to condemn Israel’s killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah.
Pakistani police used tear gas and batons to disperse protesters marching towards the US Consulate in Karachi. According to Karachi Police, the protesters deviated from their agreed-upon route and attempted to march towards the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi road. Senior Police official Asad Reza said that police intervened to maintain law and order after the protesters turned violent.
”When stopped by the police and reminded of their agreed route to peacefully protest, some of them turned violent and started pelting stones at the police in which some policemen were injured,” Raza said.
According to eye-witnesses, several protesters began their rally from the Old Numaish roundabout and marched along the main MA Jinnah Road. When they descended from the Native Jetty Bridge and attempted to approach the US Consulate, police contingents stationed there prevented them from moving further. They later used tear gas shells and also baton-charged protesters to disperse them.
The police had already set up containers and created temporary barriers, which were removed by some of the protesters, including women and children.
Journalists covering the rally in Karachi said some of their reporters and photographers were also beaten and injured by the protesters.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsAlso, the Foreign Office on Sunday condemned what it called the growing Israeli “adventurism” and “unbridled attacks” against unarmed civilians in West Asia.
In a statement, the Foreign Office said that the “reckless act of killing the Secretary General of Hezbollah” constituted a major escalation in an already volatile region and pledged to stand in solidarity with the people of Lebanon.
It also urged the United Nations Security Council to restrain Israel from its adventurism in the region and violations of international law and to restore peace in the Middle East.
Following the death of Nasrallah - killed in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday - Hezbollah fired new fusillades of rockets into Israel, while Iran said his death would be avenged.
With inputs from agencies.