Karachi: Police arrested Ten individuals after an angry mob attacked global fast food chain KFC in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) of Pakistan's Karachi on Tuesday evening. A video of the rampage has gone viral on the internet.
Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza told Dawn that around 40 people, mainly young individuals armed with sticks and stones, attacked the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) outlet on Korangi Road in the evening, attempting to vandalise the restaurant.
The video of the incident shows the restaurant has been damaged and vandalised. The mob then set the restaurant on fire. The video also shows the logo of the joint has been defaced. It can be seen in the video that the massive crowd gathered on the spot.
The police soon rushed to the spot and dispersed the group, and took 10 suspects into custody.
DIG Raza further said that the mob were protesting against the US and Israel's policies in Gaza and assured that the situation was now under control and that further action will be taken against the remaining protestors and their organisers.
"Security measures at other KFC locations are being increased and that such incidents were part of a larger pattern across the Muslim world, especially in countries like Bangladesh, with social media fueling the unrest," Raza added.
In a related incident, another KFC outlet in Mohammad Ali Society in Karachi was attacked by a group of individuals during a rally on the same night.
The attackers demanded the restaurant close and then damaged the premises with chairs, sticks, and stones. While an FIR was filed, no one was arrested in this case.
Similar Incident In Bangladesh
A similar incident took place in neighbouring Bangladesh, over the same issue. Here, outlets of international brands such as Bata, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Puma, perceived by the agitators as having ties to Israel, were vandalised and plundered.
