Pakistan Imposes Curfew After Protests

Pakistan has imposed a three-day curfew in the northern cities of Gilgit and Skardu after violent protests left at least 12 people dead and 80 injured, according to local authorities.

Officials said army troops were deployed before dawn on Monday in the mountainous region of Gilgit-Baltistan to restore order.

The unrest erupted following circulating reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, had been killed in a joint US-Israeli strike. The reports sparked large demonstrations across parts of northern Pakistan.

Thousands of protesters stormed the offices of the United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan, which monitors the ceasefire line in the disputed Kashmir region. Demonstrators also targeted the headquarters of the United Nations Development Programme in Skardu.

In Gilgit, protesters set fire to a police station and caused extensive damage to a school and a local charity’s offices. Police in the region confirmed that 12 people were killed and dozens more injured during clashes with security forces.

Shabbir Mir, spokesperson for the Gilgit-Baltistan government, said on Monday that “the situation is now under control,” adding that the curfew will remain in place until Wednesday.

On the diplomatic front, the US Embassy in Pakistan and its consulates in Karachi and Lahore cancelled visa appointments and consular services on Monday due to security concerns.