The fast food chain, created by the United States, has been the target of protests since the beginning of the Gaza War, and calls from Islamic parties link it to our support for Israel.
This month, crowds repeatedly protested outside KFC, breaking windows, setting up fires and threatening employees.
“In total, 20 incidents occurred in Pakistan and one death was reported,” Deputy Minister Talal Chaudhry said in a press conference on Saturday.
KFC employees were shot dead on Sunday at a branch in the outskirts of Lahore, the capital of Punjab.
A police officer told AFP it is not clear what the motive for the shooting was or whether it was related to recent protests. Choudhury said 145 people were arrested in Punjab province and 15 people were arrested in the national capital Islamabad for a series of attacks. “The restaurants offer everything locally and employ Pakistani employees whose income remains in the country,” he said.
KFC and its parent company yum! The brand did not respond to a request for comment.
A KFC restaurant in Kashmir caught fire in March last year, with protesters chanting “Free Palestine”.
