Ten people were arrested over charges of ransacking a global fast food chain in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority on Tuesday evening, police said.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) South Syed Asad Raza told the media that at around 6:15pm, around 40 people, mostly young people, armed with sticks and stones, attacked the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet at Korangi Road, in an attempt to vandalise it.
“Police responded immediately and dispersed the crowd,” the South police chief said, adding that 10 suspects have been apprehended.
Speaking on the possible motive of the attack on the food outlet, DIG Raza said, “Their motive was to protest against US and Israel policies in Gaza.”
He said the situation was now under control, vowing that the rest of the protestors and their organisers were being pursued by the police and legal action would be taken against all.
“Security of other KFC branches is being beefed up,” DIG South said.
DIG said, “There is a similar pattern across the Muslim World, especially Bangladesh and other countries, mostly incited by social media, where mobs resort to such hooliganism.”
In another incident, a different branch of the food chain outlet was targeted by miscreants who pelted stones at the branch in Bahadurabad yesterday.
Bahadurabad police Station House Officer Naveed Soomro told the media that a rally was passing through when the incident happened, adding that a first information report (FIR) was registered but no one had been arrested.
A shutter-down strike was observed in Karachi yesterday on the call of traders in connection with the global strike call given by Hamas to show solidarity with Palestinians and denounce the genocide in Gaza.
Since October 7, 2023, Israel started bombarding Gaza in retaliation for an attack by Hamas, killing more than 50,695 Palestinians, according to the Palestinian health ministry.
A ceasefire was introduced in January, but Israel resumed hostilities last month.
