Turmoil in Pakistan as Protests Intensify Following U.S. Strikes

Pakistan deployed military forces to Gilgit-Baltistan and banned large gatherings nationwide after protests erupted due to U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, resulting in 26 deaths. Tensions rose as demonstrators stormed a U.N. office and U.S. consulate, leading to fatalities and heightened security measures across cities.

Pakistan has dispatched its military to the Himalayan region of Gilgit-Baltistan, imposing a nationwide ban on large gatherings following the eruption of deadly protests against recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Authorities confirm 26 fatalities have ensued so far.

The unrest has been particularly severe in Skardu, a city in Gilgit-Baltistan, where a United Nations office was set ablaze on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of 14 individuals, including a soldier. Concurrently, two fatalities were reported in Islamabad, and ten individuals lost their lives in Karachi after demonstrators breached the U.S. consulate's security perimeter.

Despite the ban on public congregations, nationwide protests continue, driven by leaders from Pakistan's sizeable Shi'ite community. Authorities have responded by implementing three-day curfews in hotspots like Gilgit and Skardu and reinforcing security around U.S. diplomatic missions nationwide.

(With inputs from agencies.)