Pakistanis protesting Hezbollah leader’s killing clash with Karachi police

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KARACHI (Reuters) – Stone-throwing protesters in Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi clashed on Sunday with police who stopped them from reaching the U.S. consulate during demonstrations over Israel’s killing of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.

Protesters chanted “Death to America,” while carrying posters of Nasrallah.

Police said seven officers were injured and receiving treatment in hospital from stones thrown by protesters.

“Police had to resort to baton charging and tear gas against those who breached the cordons in a bid to disperse the crowd,” said Police Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza, adding that protesters had tried to reach areas beyond cordons agreed upon with organisers in advance.

He said police would register criminal cases against protesters who acted violently.

Pro-Iran Shi’ite religious political party Majlis Wahadatul Muslimeen had organised the rally of around 3,000 people in the country’s most populous city.

Following the death of Nasrallah – killed in an airstrike in Beirut on Friday – Hezbollah fired new fusillades of rockets into Israel, while Iran said his death would be avenged.

(Reporting by Reuters TV in Karachi and; Gibran Naiyyar Peshimam in Islamabad; Writing by Charlotte Greenfield, Editing by William Maclean)