Peaceful protest a right, but vandalism won’t be tolerated, warns Mohsin Naqvi

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday said peaceful protest is everyone’s right but vandalism under the guise of protest will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

Naqvi said this in a statement during his visit to various areas of Islamabad to review the law and order situation. During his visit to the Red Zone, Diplomatic Enclave, and other key locations, the interior minister inspected security arrangements and issued directives to ensure foolproof security within the Diplomatic Enclave.

He emphasised that security arrangements must be comprehensive and complete in every respect, noting that the law will take its course against those who disrupt daily life.

Islamabad Police Inspector General Ali Nasir Rizvi briefed the interior minister on the current law and order situation. Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa, the deputy commissioner, and other senior officials were also present on the occasion.

The development comes after at least nine people were killed and more than 12 others injured on Sunday in violent clashes that erupted between protesters and law enforcement personnel outside the US Consulate in Karachi, hours after Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening salvo of a massive US and Israeli attack.

The confrontation began when demonstrators attempted to enter the consulate premises, prompting security forces to respond, according to Rescue 1122 Sindh.

Iranian state television confirmed Khamenei’s death early Sunday, hours after US President Donald Trump declared that Khamenei died in the conflict that had defined his rule of Iran, and a senior Israeli official told Reuters his body had been found following US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran.

In a separate statement, Naqvi said it was a day of mourning for the people of Iran and Pakistan. “Following the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei, every citizen of Pakistan is as grieved as the citizens of Iran,” he said.

The minister expressed his support for all those grieving, while also requesting the public not to take the law into their own hands.

The interior minister urged citizens to record their protests in a peaceful manner.

Meanwhile, extending condolences on the martyrdom of Khamenei, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the government and the people of Pakistan joined the people of Iran in their hour of grief and sorrow.

“Pakistan also expresses concern over violation of the norms of international law. It is an age old convention that the heads of state/government should not be targeted,” the PM said, according to the PM Office Media Wing.

Shehbaz also prayed for the departed soul. “May Allah Almighty grant patience and strength to the Iranian people to bear this irreparable loss,” he added.