Police in Pakistan have arrested at least 178 individuals following a series of coordinated attacks on branches of a US-based fast-food chain during protests, officials confirmed this week.
The incidents occurred over the past few weeks in major cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad.
At least 11 outlets of the chain were vandalised by demonstrators armed with sticks, with several locations sustaining damage to property.
Security has since been increased, particularly in Lahore, where police say they are actively monitoring and protecting 27 outlets after two were attacked and five other attempted attacks were foiled.
“We are investigating the role of different individuals and groups in these attacks,” said Faisal Kamran, a senior police official in Lahore.
He noted that 11 suspects were arrested in Lahore alone, including a member of a political group.
However, the group, Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), denied orchestrating the attacks. TLP spokesperson Rehan Mohsin Khan stated that while the party supports a boycott of Israeli products, it did not call for protests targeting the fast-food chain.
“If any individual claiming to be affiliated with our party engaged in such acts, they did so on their own,” he said.
The inclidents are believed to have come amid a wave of boycotts and demonstrations against Western brands across Pakistan and other Muslim-majority nations, in response to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
The fast-food chain and its parent company have not publicly responded to the incidents.
Meanwhile, businesses in affected areas continue to bolster security as authorities investigate the coordinated nature of the unrest.
