ISLAMABAD: Leader of Opposition in the Senate Allama Nasir Abbas Jafri Sunday strongly condemned the “brutal repression” of peaceful protests held across the country against the US-Israeli aggression on Iran, resulting in the martyrdom of Ayatollah Khamenei.
“Ayatollah Khamenei was not just Iran’s Supreme Leader but also the leader of Shias across the world including Pakistan,” Senator Nasir Abbas, who also heads his Majlis Wahdatul Muslimeen, said in a message on his social media account. “The firing by personnel of the United States Marine Corps on unarmed demonstrators at Karachi Consulate is condemnable in the strongest terms,” he added.
Similarly, he contended that the local police and law enforcement agencies in Islamabad, Gilgit and Skardu resorted to firing on innocent protesters as well. He claimed that use of live ammunition against civilians cannot be justified under any doctrine of security.
This, he said, is not how a state manages dissent, adding that when grief cuts across sectarian lines and citizens stand together in mourning, the answer cannot be bullets.
He maintained that the diplomatic premises may be protected, but protection does not mean disproportionate force; If restraint fails at such a sensitive moment, consequences are predictable.
“I demand an immediate and transparent inquiry into these incidents. Those responsible for ordering and carrying out the use of lethal force must be held accountable,” he said.
The right to peaceful protest, he underlined, is a fundamental right. Responding with excessive force reflects failure of restraint and disregard for human life.
