Islamabad, March 1 (IANS) The US Embassy in Islamabad said on Sunday that it is monitoring reports of protests at the US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore and calls for demonstrations at the US Embassy in Islamabad and Consulate General Peshawar, as it advised US citizens in the country to monitor local news and observe good personal security practices.

In a statement shared on X, the US Embassy in Islamabad said: "We are monitoring reports of ongoing demonstrations at the US Consulates General in Karachi and Lahore, as well as calls for additional demonstrations at U.S. Embassy Islamabad and Consulate General Peshawar."

"We advise US citizens in Pakistan to monitor local news and observe good personal security practices, including being aware of your surroundings, avoiding large crowds, and ensuring your STEP registration is up to date," it added.

Nine people were killed in Karachi on Sunday after protesters clashed with law enforcement personnel near the US Consulate on Mai Kolachi Road as protests erupted in Pakistan against the US and Israel's attacks on Iran, according to a hospital official, Pakistani daily Dawn reported. The protests were held after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in US-Israeli airstrikes on Tehran.

Speaking to Dawn, Executive Director of Civil Hospital Karachi’s (CHK) SMBB Institute of Trauma, Mohammad Sabir Memon, stated that nine people had died and 34 others were injured in the wake of protests near the consulate.

Police surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed stated that nine people died during the protests. Dr Syed said that seven people were shifted to the Aga Khan University Hospital and the Fatimid Foundation, while the remaining were at CHK’s trauma centre. Earlier, she mentioned that two injured police personnel were among those who were taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for treatment.

Separately, curfew was imposed in the Skardu district of Pakistan-occupied Gilgit Baltistan after protests intensified in the region following Khamenei’s killing. Protesters in the Skardu and Gilgit regions of PoGB set on fire the offices of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), the Dawn reported.

The protesters also set a school, the office of the superintendent of police, and the Agha Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) office on fire. The PoGB police announced that a curfew has been imposed in Skardu.

Pakistan Army had been called in under Section 245 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), noting that UNMOGIP offices in Skardu and Gilgit were set on fire. It further mentioned that no casualties were reported during the protests.

--IANS

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