Pakistan Deploys Troops, Imposes 3-day Curfew After Deadly Protests Over U.s.-israeli Strikes On Iran

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities deployed troops and imposed a three-day curfew earlier dawn Monday successful nan bluish cities of Gilgit and Skardu aft respective group died and tens were injured successful convulsive protests pursuing nan sidesplitting of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei successful U.S.-Israeli strikes, officials said.

Thousands of Shiite demonstrators attacked connected Sunday nan offices of nan U.N. Military Observer Group, which monitors nan ceasefire on nan disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, and nan U.N. Development Programme successful Skardu city. Protesters besides burned a constabulary position and damaged a schoolhouse and nan offices of a section kindness successful Gilgit, according to officials. At slightest 12 group were killed and 80 others injured, said constabulary successful nan Gilgit-Baltistan region.

U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said Monday protesters became convulsive adjacent nan UNMOGIP Field Station, which was vandalized. “The information and information of U.N. unit and premises passim nan region stay our apical priority, and we proceed to intimately show nan situation,” Dujarric said.

Meanwhile, Shabir Mir, a Gilgit-Baltistan authorities spokesman, said Monday nan business was nether power and that nan curfew would stay successful spot until Wednesday. Police main Akbar Nasir Khan urged residents to enactment indoors, citing “deteriorating rule and bid conditions.”

Demonstrators successful Pakistan’s confederate larboard metropolis of Karachi stormed nan U.S. Consulate connected Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to pain nan building. Police responded pinch batons, tear gas, and gunfire, leaving 10 group dormant and much than 50 injured. One personification was besides killed successful clashes successful Islamabad during an attempted Shiite march toward nan U.S. Embassy.

The U.S. Embassy and its consulates successful Karachi and Lahore canceled visa appointments and American Citizen Services connected Monday, citing information concerns. Pakistani authorities person beefed up information astatine U.S. negotiated missions crossed nan country, including astir nan U.S. consulate building successful Peshawar, to debar immoderate further violence.

Also Monday, nan Pakistan Stock Exchange plunged, pinch nan benchmark KSE-100 Index falling astir 10% amid rising geopolitical tensions pursuing attacks connected Iran. Investors sold disconnected shares crossed sectors, pinch analysts citing heightened uncertainty arsenic nan main driver down nan crisp decline.

Anger has been rising successful Pakistan, peculiarly among members of nan Shiite minority, pursuing U.S. and Israeli strikes connected Iran that killed Khamenei and different elder officials. While Shiites are a number nationwide, they shape a mostly successful immoderate bluish districts and successful nan state of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bordering Afghanistan.

Sunday’s unrest came amid ongoing cross-border fighting betwixt Pakistan and Afghanistan, which began Thursday aft Afghanistan launched attacks successful retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes nan erstwhile Sunday. Pakistan has since carried retired repeated operations on nan border.

Ahmed writes for nan Associated Press. AP writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar successful Peshawar, Pakistan and Jamey Keaten successful Geneva contributed to this report.