At the centre of this confusion sits Pakistan Army chief General Asim Munir, whose strategic posture has long oscillated between courting Washington and appeasing hardline Islamist sentiment at home. The result is a state that appears perpetually trapped between ideology and pragmatism, often choosing the path that harms its own stability the most.
When the United States and Israel struck Iranian targets and reportedly killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Pakistan reacted with predictable outrage. Islamabad condemned the military action and called it an unjustified escalation.
But while the official line was diplomatic condemnation, events inside Pakistan told a very different story.
Streets on fire inside Pakistan
Violent protests erupted across the country, especially among sections of the Shia population angered by the killing of Iran’s top cleric. Demonstrators stormed diplomatic premises, attacked government buildings and clashed with security forces.
At least 22 people were killed and more than 120 injured as protesters attempted to storm the US consulate in Karachi and attacked UN and government offices elsewhere.
The chaos was not limited to one city. Demonstrations spread to Gilgit-Baltistan and Islamabad, forcing authorities to deploy troops and impose curfews in several areas as the unrest spiralled out of control.
For Pakistan, this was not simply a spontaneous public reaction to events in the Middle East. It was also the product of years of political signalling that blurred the lines between state policy and ideological mobilisation.
The Asim Munir contradiction
That contradiction has often been encouraged or tolerated by the country’s powerful military establishment led by General Asim Munir.
