Inquiry launched into US Consulate Karachi unrest

KARACHI: A fact-finding inquiry has been launched into the violent unrest outside the US Consulate Karachi that left 11 people dead and 41 injured following Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s assassination.

The investigation is being conducted by a committee formed by the Counter Terrorism Department Sindh.

SSP Shabbir Sethar and AIG Operations Kashif Abbasi were present as well, while DIG South Asad Raza and DIG East Farooq Lanjhar appeared before the committee after being summoned.

SSP Amjad Sheikh, SSP South Mehzor Ali, SSP City Arif Aziz and SSP East Zubair Nazeer Sheikh also recorded their statements.

During the hearing, SSP Amjad Sheikh briefed the committee on the sequence of events and video footage of the unrest outside the US Consulate Karachi was presented.

According to the briefing, protesters marched from the Mai Kolachi Sultanabad checkpoint towards the consulate, where four police vehicles and four motorcycles with personnel were initially deployed.

More than 15 officers and officials were stationed at the consulate gate, while the number of protesters exceeded 400. Police began advancing after observing the increasingly aggressive behaviour of the crowd.

Witnesses said protesters started pelting stones at the consulate and the police soon after arriving at the site. A large number of demonstrators gathered at the main gate and hurled tear gas shells back towards the police, some of which had been fired by officers to disperse the crowd.

Sources said the committee is currently reviewing the footage and the level of police deployment at the scene, and more officers may be summoned for questioning as the inquiry progresses.