An employee of the American fast-food chain KFC was killed on Monday in an attack carried out by activists of the radical Islamist group Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) during an anti-Israel demonstration in Punjab province, local authorities confirmed. The deadly incident occurred in Sheikhupura, roughly 50 kilometers northwest of Lahore. According to police reports, a large group of TLP supporters stormed the KFC outlet in the early hours of the morning. While vandalizing the premises, the assailants opened fire on staff members.
One employee, identified as Asif Nawaz, believed to be in his 40s, was fatally shot. Other employees managed to flee the scene. “When police reached the spot, the miscreants had fled,” a police official said. Authorities have since detained more than three dozen suspects in connection with the attack, and a formal investigation is underway. The violence marks a concerning escalation in TLP’s recent wave of demonstrations, which have increasingly turned violent and targeted international fast-food chains. Just a day before the Sheikhupura incident, TLP supporters attacked another KFC outlet in Rawalpindi, causing significant property damage.
Similar assaults were reported last week in major cities like Karachi and Lahore, where KFC locations were partially set on fire. In response, Punjab police have arrested 17 individuals allegedly involved in those incidents.The Pakistani government and security agencies are reportedly struggling to contain the growing unrest, as TLP-led protests under the banner of religious solidarity with Palestine morph into attacks on multinational businesses perceived as having ties to Western or Israeli interests.
Human rights advocates and civil society groups have condemned the violence and called for stronger action to protect both citizens and private property. Meanwhile, KFC Pakistan has yet to issue an official statement regarding the latest attack. The TLP, known for its hardline stance on blasphemy and history of violent protests, has frequently clashed with law enforcement and the state. Its increasing tendency to turn demonstrations into violent rampages has sparked widespread concern about extremism and law and order in Pakistan.