Hundreds of Shi'ite Muslims on January 10 gathered in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar to protest the U.S. assassination of Major General Qasem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force -- an elite unit in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
Protesters chanted “Death to America" and held photos of Soleimani, who was killed January 3 in a U.S. air strike outside Baghdad. They also chanted slogans against Israel, and burnt an effigy of U.S. President Donald Trump.
The protests were organized by an alliance of Shi'ite Muslims in Peshawar that called on Prime Minister Imran Khan's government to back Shi'ite Iran in its dispute with the United States.
Protests were also held in other cities in Pakistan.
They followed similar protests by Shi'ite groups on January 3 and January 5 in the capital, Islamabad, and in the port city of Karachi.
Pakistan's Foreign Ministry on January 5 issued a statement saying that Islamabad will not "let its soil be used against any other state," and will not become part of "any regional conflict."
Khan later instructed Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi to visit Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United States to seek de-escalation in regional tensions.
Pakistani Shi'ites Protest Soleimani's Assassination
Editors' Picks
Afghanistan/Pakistan Trending
1
European Commission To Suspend Visa-Free Travel For Georgian Diplomats
2Tanker Seized By US Off Venezuela Was Part Of Iranian Shadow Fleet
3Brussels Adds New Names To Blacklist In Latest Russia Sanctions Package
44 Russian Soldiers Sentenced For Killing Of American Fighting For Moscow In Ukraine
5Three Chinese Nationals Killed In Afghan-Tajik Border Attack On Gold Mining Camp
6Tehran Pollution Hits 'Alarming' Level In Latest Environmental Crisis
7NATO Chief Rutte Tells RFE: 'Thoughtful Dialogue' Needed On Ukraine
8Romanian Mayor Says His Village Now 'Part Of The War' Amid Russian Drone Incursions
9EU Holds Talks On China's Support For Russia, Including Possible Weapons Transfers
10In Stark Warning, NATO's Rutte Says Alliance Is 'Russia's Next Target'
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.
