The killing of Iran’s Supreme tyrant leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has sparked protests against Israel and the United States in several countries, particularly in non-Arab Muslim nations. In Pakistan, however, the protests have turned extremely violent. The violence has resulted in thirty-five deaths and more than one hundred injuries, yet no arrests have been reported so far.

Angry mobs have attacked several buildings, including the American consulates in Karachi and Lahore, United Nations offices, and local non-governmental organizations such as the Agha Khan Rural Support Program in northern Pakistan.

Both electronic and print media in Pakistan – whether secular or religious – have described Ali Khamenei as a “great martyr.” At the same time, many Pakistanis on social media platforms have been openly inciting violence. Some have called for the complete destruction of Israel and the elimination of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump.

In an article published in the New York Post, New York-based Muslim imam and interfaith leader Shaikh Musa Darmmeh commented on this reaction. He wrote that “segments of the Muslim world have allowed themselves to be driven by emotion rather than intellect, by grievance rather than strategy, and by hatred rather than moral reasoning.”

Shaikh Musa has visited Israel several times. I had the privilege of accompanying him on a visit to Israel last December.

“Thanks to Allah, we have entered the compound.” was a voice note message of one of the attackers who was seen arsoning near the reception area. The attackers reportedly broke through the main bulletproof steel electronic gate and stormed into Karachi’s US consulate grounds. How they managed to breach the security remains unclear.

A former employee of the U.S. Consulate, speaking anonymously, said the attack was the most frightening incident since the fear of possible assaults after Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. Navy SEALs in Abbottabad, Pakistan, on May 2, 2011.

On the morning of Sunday, March 1, large groups of young protesters—many identified as members or supporters of the Imamia Students Organization (ISO), which has been accused  of having ties with Iran—stormed into the U.S. Consulate compound in city of Karachi. The protesters reached the reception area, vandalized property, and set parts of the area they intruded  on fire while chanting slogans such as “Marg bar America” (“Death to America”) and “Marg bar Israel” (“Death to Israel”).

Despite the presence of police, paramilitary Rangers, and private security guards around the consulate, the protesters managed to enter the compound. Many observers have questioned how such a breach was possible.

According to a journalist who examined closed-circuit television footage, there was little resistance from security forces outside the consulate. Resistance reportedly came only from inside the building when the intruders attempted to advance further. Approximately ten attackers were killed and about one hundred were injured. According to a Reuters report, the gunfire that stopped the attackers allegedly came from U.S. Marines responsible for protecting the consulate and its staff.

Most of the protesters were between twenty and twenty-five years old. This occurred despite claims by the Sindh provincial government that the city was under high security alert. Observers also noted the absence of the usual security barriers that authorities often deploy during political protests.

Some security officials reportedly negotiated with the leaders of the mob. One of the protesters’ demands was the removal of the American flag from the consulate. According to witnesses, the mob leaders told police that the sight of the flag made the protesters more enraged. Police officials responded that they did not have the authority to remove it.

Authorities suspect that some of the attackers may have been members of militant groups such as the Zainabiyoun Brigade, a Shia militant organization believed to have links with fighters who previously operated in Syria.

Reports also suggest that some attackers raised the flags of Iran and Hezbollah inside the consulate compound. Some suspects are believed to have come from Gilgit in northern Pakistan, a region where sectarian tensions have historically been high.

Meanwhile, riots also erupted in northern Pakistan. In Gilgit, mobs attacked the regional office of the United Nations and the Agha Khan Rural Support Program, setting buildings on fire. About twenty-five people were reportedly killed in the violence.

Northern areas such as Gilgit, , Hunza, Skardu, and Parachinar have experienced decades of Shia-Sunni sectarian conflict, especially since the 1980s. The region also has a significant population of Ismaili Muslims, followers of the Aga Khan, who have historically faced discrimination and persecution in various parts of the Muslim world. The Aga Khan Foundation runs many development, education, and health projects in these remote areas.

Sectarian tensions in Pakistan intensified during the military rule of General Zia-ul-Haq. During that period, Iran supported Shia militant organizations, while Sunni groups were reportedly backed by networks linked to Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states. This rivalry contributed to the spread of sectarian violence across the country.

Following Khamenei’s death in what was described as a joint U.S.–Israel aerial strike, many members of the Iranian diaspora celebrated. However, in Pakistan, large segments of society reacted with anger enveloped in violence. Many Pakistanis—from religious conservatives to several secular activists—described Khamenei as a ‘martyr who resisted global powers.’

Pakistani television channels and newspapers widely used the same language, while social media circulated numerous unverified claims and rumors. Some posts even falsely claimed that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had been killed in an Iranian retaliatory attack.

A few voices, however, warned about the dangers of emotional reactions and rising extremism. Exiled Pakistani investigative journalist Ahmed Noorani wrote on social media that after watching  Pakistani news channels such as Geo TV, he  stepped outside home   to check whether the United States still existed.

Many  Pakistanis have been obsessed  with Mullahs’ Iran. “This country needs Khomeini,” they are often heard as saying as though Iran’s so called revolutionary model was a “panacea for Pakistan’s every ill’ , even though Pakistan itself is a predominantly Sunni country.

At the same time, there are also critical voices. The late Sindhi poet Hasan Dars  wrote a poem criticizing Ayatollah Khomeini and the authoritarian nature of the Iranian revolution. In one line, he wrote:

“In the photo frame of Khanum Gagoshe

there is a country within whose borders

Addressing Khomeini, the poet wrote:

“Khomeini, you are like the burning end of a cigarette

that will eventually ash  into the ashtray of your own grave.”

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)