Pakistan Deploys Army After 24 Killed in Pro-Iran Protests Over Khamenei Assassination
Violence erupts across major ally as Shia minority reacts to U.S.-Israeli strikes, exposing Pakistan's strategic dilemma between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan imposed a three-day curfew and deployed military forces to the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region on Monday after Al Jazeera reported at least 24 people were killed in nationwide protests following the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes.
The violence represents the most serious internal security crisis triggered by regional conflict since the 1979 U.S. Embassy burning in Islamabad, which killed four. According to NBC News, demonstrators in Karachi stormed the U.S. Consulate on Sunday, smashing windows and attempting to burn the building before police responded with tear gas and gunfire. In the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu, thousands attacked UN offices monitoring the Kashmir ceasefire, burning a police station and vandalizing the UNMOGIP field station.
Pakistan’s response exposes a delicate balancing act. While The Kathmandu Post notes the government condemned the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran, it simultaneously criticized Iran’s retaliatory missile strikes on Gulf allies including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar called the strikes on Iran “unwarranted attacks” in a phone call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi, yet Islamabad stopped short of offering material support despite domestic pressure.
The Shia Factor: Demographics Drive Protest Intensity
Pakistan’s Shia minority, comprising between 15-20 percent of the country’s 250 million people according to Al Jazeera, demonstrated unprecedented mobilization. While Shias are a nationwide minority, they form majorities in Gilgit-Baltistan and significant populations in urban centers like Karachi. Between 5,000 and 8,000 protesters assembled near Islamabad’s Red Zone, chanting “Those who side with the US are traitors” and demanding revenge against Israel.
Pakistan serves as Iran’s protecting power in the United States, handling diplomatic communications since the 1979 Islamic Revolution severed formal ties. This role places Islamabad in an awkward position when U.S.-Iran tensions escalate. The relationship has fluctuated: Pakistan joined the U.S. War on Terror in 2001, distancing itself from Tehran, but recent years saw warming under former PM Imran Khan’s mediation efforts between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The sectarian dimension is critical. Pakistan has witnessed recurring Shia-Sunni violence, particularly in Kurram district where The Diplomat reports around 2,000 people died between 2007-2011 when the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan attempted to seize control. A February 2026 suicide bombing at a Shia mosque in Islamabad killed 31 and injured 169, marking the deadliest attack in the capital since 2008. These incidents occur against a backdrop of alleged Iranian and Saudi proxy influence within Pakistan’s sectarian landscape.
Strategic Paralysis: Caught Between Rivals
The protests erupted as Pakistan fights an “open war” with Afghanistan’s Taliban government, complicating its security posture. According to Al Jazeera, Pakistan launched strikes on Kabul and Kandahar on February 27 following Afghan attacks on Pakistani border posts, claiming to have killed 274 Taliban fighters. The dual crises—sectarian unrest linked to Iran and cross-border conflict with Afghanistan—stretch Pakistan’s military across three fronts including the Indian border.
“We want to show the world that, don’t take us Shia lightly. We are here to remind the world that we will seek revenge.”
— Syed Nayab Zehra, 28-year-old protester in Islamabad
Pakistan’s recent rapprochement with the Trump administration adds complexity. Middle East Institute notes that Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir visited Washington days before the Iran strikes, receiving a private lunch with President Trump. Secretary of State Marco Rubio subsequently called PM Shehbaz Sharif to discuss achieving “durable peace” between Iran and Israel. Yet the timing made Munir’s visit politically toxic domestically, with opposition elements capitalizing on the perceived alignment with Washington.
Economic consequences are immediate. Bloomberg reported the Pakistan Stock Exchange plunged nearly 10 percent on Monday, triggering trading halts as the KSE-100 Index reflected investor alarm over regional instability and Pakistan’s proximity to conflict zones.
Why Iran Resonates: Historical and Religious Ties
Iran was among the first nations to recognize Pakistan’s independence in 1947, signing a friendship treaty in 1950. Despite Sunni majority rule, Pakistan’s Shia population maintains cultural and religious connections to Iran. The 1979 Islamic Revolution initially strained ties as Pakistan aligned with Saudi Arabia and later joined the U.S. War on Terror. However, Wikipedia documents China’s emergence as a shared strategic partner for both nations, with Iran expressing interest in joining the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor.
Pakistan’s public rhetoric carefully threads neutrality. President Asif Ali Zardari expressed “profound sorrow over the martyrdom” of Khamenei, while Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi urged citizens not to “take the law into their own hands.” Yet this measured response failed to prevent violence, suggesting the government underestimated sectarian sentiment or lacks capacity to manage Shia mobilization when Iran faces existential threats.
- Pakistan’s Shia minority (15-20% of 250 million people) demonstrated unprecedented solidarity with Iran, overwhelming security forces in multiple cities.
- The government faces simultaneous conflicts with Afghanistan and domestic sectarian unrest while attempting to maintain relations with both Washington and Tehran.
- Economic fallout was immediate, with stock markets plunging 10% as investors fled exposure to regional instability.
- Pakistan’s role as Iran’s protecting power in the U.S. creates structural diplomatic contradictions when U.S.-Iran tensions escalate.
What to Watch
The three-day curfew expires Wednesday, testing whether Pakistani authorities can restore order or face renewed violence. Gilgit-Baltistan government spokesman Shabir Mir claimed the situation was “under control,” but mobile services remain suspended and roads blocked in sensitive areas.
Pakistan’s participation in Trump’s Gaza Peace “Board of Peace,” which concluded February 19 with $10 billion in U.S. commitments, now appears jeopardized. Reports suggest Pakistan is considering recognizing Israel to align with U.S. regional strategy, a move that would inflame domestic opinion following the Iran strikes.
The violence reveals structural limits to Pakistan’s strategic hedging. For decades, Islamabad successfully balanced relations between rivals—Iran and Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and China. But direct U.S. military action against Iran, combined with Pakistan’s own Afghan conflict and fragile economy (dependent on IMF bailouts), narrows maneuvering room. If Iran’s regime change proceeds or sectarian violence escalates domestically, Pakistan may be forced to choose sides in ways that fundamentally reshape its regional posture.
The U.S. Embassy canceled visa appointments Monday and advised American citizens to avoid crowds, signaling expectations of prolonged instability. With Pakistan sharing a 900-kilometer border with Iran and hosting militant groups with transnational reach, the spillover from Middle East conflict into South Asia appears not hypothetical but operational.