Pakistan, April 17 -- On Monday, a mob unleashed violence on a KFC outlet in Sheikhupura, leaving a kitchen worker Asif Nawaz dead and prompting national outrage. The attack, carried out under the banner of Palestinian solidarity, was neither protest nor principle. It was murder fueled by misguided fervour.

Pakistan's empathy for Gaza is undeniable: a recent Gallup snap poll found that 75% of its citizens sympathise with the Palestinian people. Our streets have witnessed numerous peaceful demonstrations in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad and our government has repeatedly condemned Israel's actions. But support for a cause, however just, must never degenerate into cruelty.

What we keep overlooking is how these franchises, regardless of the...