Pakistani authorities have arrested approximately 160 people following a series of attacks on KFC restaurants across the country, with one employee killed in the violence, government officials announced on Saturday.
The American fast-food chain has become a focal point for protests and boycott calls by Islamist groups who link the brand to US support for Israel in the ongoing Gaza conflict.
“A total of 20 incidents occurred across Pakistan, with one fatality reported. The man was a staff member at KFC,” deputy interior minister Talal Chaudhry said during a news conference, describing the restaurant chain as “under attack”.
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The fatal shooting took place at a KFC branch on the outskirts of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.
A police official told AFP that investigators have not yet determined whether the killing was connected to the recent protests.
Widespread Arrests and Damage
Of the 160 people detained, 145 were arrested in Punjab province and 15 in the national capital Islamabad.
According to Chaudhry, all suspects have confessed and expressed remorse in video statements.
Protesters targeted KFC locations repeatedly throughout April, breaking windows, setting fires, and threatening staff.
Law enforcement in major urban areas including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad confirmed at least 11 instances where demonstrators wielding sticks vandalised the restaurants.
In Lahore alone, authorities are enhancing security measures at 27 KFC locations after two attacks occurred and five more were thwarted.
Possible Links to Islamist Groups
Pakistan’s Minister of State for Interior, Tallal Chaudhry, indicated the attacks were primarily linked to activists from the hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), though he stopped short of directly blaming the organisation.
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“Some party’s workers might have been present in their personal capacity, but no party is connected to this crime. In fact, religious and other political parties have distanced themselves,” Chaudhry stated.
Senior Lahore police official Faisal Kamran confirmed that 11 people were arrested in the city, including one individual linked to the TLP.
TLP spokesperson Rehan Mohsin Khan clarified that while the group has encouraged Muslims to refrain from purchasing Israeli goods, it has not called for demonstrations against KFC.
“If any person claiming to be affiliated with TLP engages in such activities, it should be viewed as their personal actions, unrelated to the party’s stance,” Khan added.
Economic Impact and Local Connections
Government officials emphasised that the attacks on KFC were unjustified given the chain’s local economic contributions.
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“The entire management of KFC is from Pakistan. Whatever items they use, they buy them from Pakistani vendors. Its entire profit also remains within Pakistan,” Chaudhry said.
He noted that the KFC business in Pakistan is run entirely by local management, with investment exceeding $100 million and over 25,000 livelihoods connected to the franchise.
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