Kamyana, in-charge of police in Rawalpindi, was reportedly in the tourist resort of Murree when the violence erupted.
Sectarian tensions flared in Rawalpindi despite extensive security arrangements put in place by the government for the Islamic month of Muharram, during which Shias have been frequently targeted by extremists in recent years.
The tensions later spread to the country's northwest, and curfew was imposed and the army called out in three cities.
