Pakistani police clashed with thousands of protesters in Karachi on Sunday after demonstrators attempted to breach a security barricade. Supporters of the Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party threw rocks at officers and set a patrol car on fire when they were prevented from reaching the press club. The TLP reported that one of its members was killed during the unrest, while police arrested around 20 individuals from both sides.
The protests erupted as foreign delegations began arriving in Pakistan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, which is set to take place amid heightened security and military deployments in the capital. Approximately 2,000 TLP supporters attempted to approach the city’s press club to oppose a separate demonstration organized by civil society groups addressing the recent killing of a blasphemy suspect while in police custody.
Provincial Interior Minister Zia Ul Hassan expressed concerns about potential clashes, as both the political party and civil society groups had called for protests on the same day. He condemned the violence, especially in light of the upcoming security summit in Islamabad and last week’s deadly attack on a convoy of Chinese nationals outside the city’s airport.
The TLP advocates for Pakistan’s controversial blasphemy laws, which impose the death penalty for insults against Islam. In response to the unrest, Islamabad’s Inspector-General of Police, Nasir Ali Rizvi, announced a comprehensive security plan ahead of the crucial summit. More than 9,000 police personnel have been deployed, and an integrated traffic plan has been established to facilitate citizens.
Additionally, the government has deployed army troops in the capital to manage any disturbances and has imposed a ban on protests and rallies in Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and other cities. Senior regional officials, including Chinese Premier Li Qiang, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, are expected to attend the summit.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has threatened to hold a protest on October 15 against restrictions placed on its jailed leader, Imran Khan, demanding the government allow him to meet with family, legal counsel, and medical personnel.