Anti-American outrage is boiling over in Pakistan following US-Israel airstrikes on Iran, including the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. With fires raging at torched offices and nine dead in Karachi street battles, the US Embassy has rolled out a critical safety bulletin for its citizens scattered across the volatile nation.
The advisory, shared on X, flags active protests at Karachi and Lahore consulates and warns of impending ones at Islamabad’s embassy and Peshawar’s outpost. ‘Monitor news closely, stay alert to activities around you, shun crowds, and update your STEP profile,’ it instructs, underscoring the need for proactive defense.
Karachi’s Mai Kolachi Road became a battlefield Sunday, per Dawn, as protesters and security forces collided lethally. Nine perished, 34 hurt. SMBB Trauma Institute’s Dr. Mohammad Sabir Memon tallied the toll, matched by Dr. Sumaiya Syed of the police surgeon’s office. Treatment spanned elite hospitals: seven to Aga Khan and Fatimid, rest at Civil trauma center, two cops at JPMC.
Skardu in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan exploded in parallel, with rioters ablaze-ing UNMOGIP sites in Skardu/Gilgit, plus a school, SP office, and AKRSP base. Curfew locked down Skardu; army arrived under CrPC 245. Security is airtight now, casualties nil from these attacks.
The embassy’s call to action reflects a nation teetering amid imported Middle East rage. As diplomatic enclaves turn flashpoints, US personnel and citizens face elevated threats, prompting a broader rethink of travel and presence in Pakistan’s charged climate.