Authorities in Pakistan have arrested dozens of individuals following a wave of attacks on KFC outlets across several major cities. The incidents, linked to rising anti-American sentiment and opposition to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, have seen at least 11 branches of the US fast-food chain targeted by mobs armed with sticks, according to police officials.
Law enforcement in cities such as Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad confirmed the vandalism, revealing that at least 178 people had been taken into custody over the past few weeks. The attacks, they noted, appear to reflect growing anger over US support for Israel.
Neither KFC nor its parent company, the US-based Yum Brands, have issued a comment on the developments.
In a particularly troubling incident near Lahore, a KFC employee was fatally shot by unidentified gunmen. A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said no protest was taking place at the time, and investigations are ongoing to determine whether the killing was politically motivated.
In Lahore alone, police are increasing security at 27 KFC outlets. Two of these branches were recently attacked, while five more were spared after police intervention. Senior officer Faisal Kamran stated that 11 suspects had been arrested in the city, including one person linked to the Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP). However, Kamran clarified that the protests were not officially sanctioned by TLP.
TLP spokesperson Rehan Mohsin Khan reiterated that while the party had encouraged a boycott of Israeli products, it had not called for demonstrations at KFC locations. “If any other person claiming to be a TLP leader or activist has indulged in such activity, it should be taken as his personal act which has nothing to do with the party’s policy,” he said.
KFC has often been perceived as a symbol of the United States in Pakistan and has faced backlash during times of heightened anti-US sentiment. In recent months, various Western brands have become the focus of boycotts and protests in Pakistan and other Muslim-majority nations in response to Israel’s actions in Gaza.