A troubling spectacle unfolded at a major commercial mall amid ongoing protests in the capital, where Pakistani foreign nationals primarily from Afghanistan were observed openly carrying AK-47 assault rifles while police stood nearby without intervening. The scene has sparked urgent questions regarding legal jurisdiction, public safety, and law enforcement protocols.
Videos and photographs circulating on social media show uniformed police officers maintaining a perimeter around the mall premises. Inside and immediately outside the entrances, groups of foreign nationals, identifiable by their attire and language, moved with slung rifles. Witnesses reported no immediate violence, but the visual of armed non-citizens patrolling a civilian space while the state’s armed forces remained passive has drawn sharp criticism from security analysts.
“This is an unprecedented breach of normal order,” said a retired senior police official who requested anonymity. “In any functioning legal framework, only state-authorised personnel should carry automatic weapons in public during unrest. The presence of armed foreign nationals suggests either a breakdown in command or a tacit understanding that no law enforcement official is willing to explain.”
Legal experts point to the Foreigners Act and Pakistan’s Arms Ordinance, both of which prohibit non-citizens from carrying weapons without explicit government authorisation. No such authorisation has been publicly announced. The police, for their part, have offered conflicting statements. A spokesperson initially claimed officers were outnumbered and avoiding escalation; later, a different official said the matter was “under review.”
The protesters accompanying the armed foreign nationals have demanded various political and economic concessions. Mall management, fearing a firefight, closed all entrances and evacuated staff through service corridors. No injuries have been reported, but the psychological impact on shoppers many of whom were families is evident.
Human rights organisations have called for an immediate inquiry. “The state cannot pick and choose when to enforce its monopoly on force,” a representative from a national watchdog said. “If foreign nationals can carry AK-47s in a crowded mall while police watch, then the social contract has already frayed.”
As of publication, police have not detained any of the armed individuals. The Interior Ministry has promised a full report within 48 hours. For now, the image of silent police and armed foreign nationals standing within metres of each other remains an uncomfortable symbol of state uncertainty during protest season.
