US marine ‘opened fire in retaliation’ when people stormed consulate in Karachi, JIT told

• Police officers tell six-member panel around 300 protesters reached US mission from Numaish without high-ups’ consent
• Say personnel of Sindh police deployed outside consulate fired 30 ‘aerial shots’ to stop the mob from entering foreign mission
• ToRs of JIT silent about fixing responsibility of killings

KARACHI: A Joint Interrogation Team (JIT) probing the facts and circumstances leading to the March 1 violence was informed that “one US marine” stationed at the American mission in Karachi resorted to firing in “retaliation” when protesters stormed the consulate building after breaching security, it emerged on Saturday.

The JIT was also told that Sindh police personnel deployed at US consulate fired 30 shots into the air to stop the mob from storming the complex.

As many as 12 people were killed and 49 others, including seven policemen, sustained bullet wounds during the violent protest near the US consulate against the assassination of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in coordinated US-Israel strikes on Tehran.

Only a couple of days ago, two unnamed US officials told Reuters that American Marines opened fire on demonstrators during the storming of the Karachi consulate, but “it was unclear whether rounds fired by Marines struck or killed anyone”.

After the violent episode, the Sindh government constituted a six-member JIT to ascertain the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident and identify any lapses in security protocols, procedural compliance or command responsibility.

However, its terms of reference are silent about fixing responsibility of the killings. The police, on their part, registered three terrorism, murder and attempted murder cases against 150-200 unidentified protesters and formed a committee for investigations.

The JIT, which started its proceedings a day before, recorded statements of various police officers, including DIGs of East and South zones, SSPs of Keamari, South, City and East districts, who provided details of the incident.

Sources privy to the proceedings told Dawn that the JIT was informed that on March 1 around 3,000 people gathered at Numaish to lodge their protest over Khamenei’s assassination.

They said around 300 of them, without the approval of their high-ups, proceeded towards the US consulate on their motorbikes.

The sources said that the JIT was informed that the group of protesters, some of them armed, managed to breach the inner security layer and reached the consulate complex where they vandalised the property including smashing some windows.

Some armed protesters started firing and an American marine retaliated, the sources quoting a police officer told the JIT.

The JIT was also provided with videos / footage of the incident, showing some unidentified armed men firing inside the consulate.

The sources said that the police officers informed the JIT that the protesters who vandalised US consulate belonged to a religious student party and they were “armed with weapons, lathis, stones and inflammable material”.

The JIT was told that raising anti-US slogans the protesters turned violent and the police used tear gas to disperse them.

The officials conceded the failure of law enforcers in taking an effective action against those who breached security at Gate No 4 and Gate No 5.

When the protesters entered the premises, personnel of the Sindh police’s Foreign Security Cell deployed there “fired 30 rounds, all aerial, strictly for deterrence”.

The JIT was also informed that some miscreants snatched two official weapons from as many policemen and fled.

It was informed that a total of 37 policemen were deployed for the security of the US consulate.

The police officers said that some 450 private security guards were also deputed at the foreign mission and they worked in three shifts.

However, the police deployment has been beefed up following the incident and now 1,088 policemen have been performing security duties at the consulate.policemen were deployed for the security of the US consulate.

The police officers said that some 450 private security guards were also deputed at the foreign mission and they worked in three shifts.

However, the police deployment has been beefed up following the incident and now 1,088 policemen have been performing security duties at the consulate.

It may be noted that the home department issued a notification and stated that the JIT was constituted “for the purpose of interrogation into the incident took place on 01.03.2026 at American Consulate Karachi.

According to its ToRs, the JIT is tasked “to ascertain the facts and circumstances surrounding the incident; to identify any lapse in security, protocols, procedural compliance or command responsibility, to examine the role of police personnel and any external elements involved; to recommend immediate remedial measures and long term preventive strategy; and to complete and submit a detailed report with findings and recommendations within seven days.

Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2026