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Heavy security has been deployed outside the US Consulate in Lahoreon Tuesday, following violent nationwide protests.
The unrest was triggered by the assassination of Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in a joint US-Israel airstrike on February 28. At least nine people died after clashes broke out between Pakistani police and protesters who breached the outer wall of the US Consulate in Karachi on March 1st. Civil Hospital Karachi's (CHK) trauma centre executive director Mohammad Sabir Memon told Dawn that nine men had died while 32 others were injured in the wake of protests near the consulate. Dawn reported citing a statement by Edhi that law enforcement personnel resorted to teargas shelling and baton-charge to control the situation. Earlier, police surgeon Summaiya Syed told Dawn that six bodies were brought to CHK and stated that two injured policemen were among those brought to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) for treatment. The two policemen were injured by "hard and blunt instruments", while "two protesters with firearm injuries" were also brought to JPMC, the surgeon told Dawn. Sindh's Home Minister Ziaul Hassan Lanjar sought immediate details about the situation from Karachi Additional Inspector General of Police (AIG) Azad Khan, a statement from his office said, as per Dawn. Meanwhile, the Managing Director of the IMF, Kristalina Georgieva, said that they were monitoring developments in the Middle East. "We are closely monitoring developments in the Middle East. So far, we have observed disruptions to trade and economic activity, surges in energy prices, and volatility in financial markets. The situation remains highly fluid and adds to an already uncertain global economic environment. It is too early to assess the economic impact on the region and the global economy. That impact will depend on the extent and duration of the conflict. We will provide a comprehensive assessment in our April World Economic Outlook," the statement read. https://x.com/KGeorgieva/status/2028796483382677783?s=20 Head of the Centre for Public Diplomacy and Spokesperson in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamic Republic of Iran, Esmaeil Baqaei, said that 171 girls died in Minab. In a post on X, he said, "The U.S./Israel attack on Tehran's Gandhi Hospital -- following the bombing of schools and the Massacre of 171 innocent girls in the city of Minab -- comes despite the aggressors' claims of possessing the most advanced military hardware and precision-targeting systems. The deliberate targeting and destruction of civilian infrastructure, medical facilities, schools, and media institutions by the United States and Israel, with the aim of paralyzing civilian life, constitute blatant war crime and crimes against humanity. o responsible state can remain silent in the face of these atrocities." https://x.com/IRIMFA_SPOX/status/2028739736358060294?s=20 Meanwhile, the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog said that inspectors have not found evidence of a coordinated Iranian programme to build nuclear weapons despite Israeli and US claims. (ANI)
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