Protesters set a police post on fire in Islamabad's Red Zone between 12:16 PM and 12:45 PM UTC on March 1, 2026, as part of ongoing demonstrations mourning Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's death, according to an X post by @iihtishamm. This follows earlier shelling near the US Embassy in the same area. Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed condolences for Khamenei's martyrdom and concern over violations of international law targeting heads of state, in a statement posted on X at https://x.com/CMShehbaz/status/2028083192956346683 during the 29-minute window. The government extended sympathies to Iran and prayed for the Iranian people's strength. The arson incident builds on Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi's earlier call for peaceful protests, issued before 12:16 PM UTC, as protesters approached the US Embassy and police fired shells between 11:46 AM and 12:15 PM UTC, per X posts by @shaheryarhassan and @Azeem_Sabzvari. These events follow Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar's return to Islamabad for crisis talks and protests in Kargil, Peshawar, Gilgit, Skardu, and Karachi, including 10 deaths near the US Consulate in Karachi, as reported in prior updates and Dawn News.
