Lahore, 15 April
An employee of American fast-food chain KFC was killed in an attack on the restaurant on Tuesday by a radical Islamist party during an anti-Israel protest in Punjab province, police said.

The incident took place in Sheikhupura, some 50 kms from the capital Lahore.

According to police, a large number of Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) activists attacked the KFC restaurant on Sheikhupura Road in the early hours of Tuesday.

While ransacking the restaurant, the TLP men opened fire on its employees leaving one of them dead while others ran to save their lives. The deceased has been identified as Asif Nawaz who is said to be in his 40s.

“When police reached the spot, the miscreants had fled,” an official said and added they have rounded up over three dozen suspects and further investigation is under way.

A day before, the TLP activists had attacked a KFC restaurant in Rawalpindi city and vandalised it.

Last week, the TLP attacked the KFC restaurants in Karachi and Lahore and set a portion of it on fire. Punjab police have arrested 17 members of the TLP in this regard.

The Pakistan government and security agencies appear helpless in the face of the TLP attacks on foreign food chains in the name of religion.