Violent clashes in the large Pakistani city of Karachi, the commercial centre, have left "at least 27" dead after targeted assassinations of opposition party activists and open gunfire by pro-Musharraf gangs. Local television stations broadcast pictures of one group firing from an intersection.
The purpose of all this was to stop the Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, reaching the city for a rally after flying into the airport. In advance of his arrival pro-junta activists had blocked streets. The rally has now been called off as the violence has stopped Chaudhry leaving the airport.
The miliary dictator and Bush client, General Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistani president is attempting to get his rule extended. He is due to hold a rally himself in the capital Islamabad soon (due to start before 17.00 UT) While there is no obvious successor, the opposition parties to some extent being too divided, it is not in the USA's medium term interest to continue to prop up Musharraf.
I have constructed a narrative for the events in Karachi from the reports on the BBC and Al Jazeera web sites. Al Jazeera is also taking feeds from Pakistani stations and their own reporters on site.
The background to this is that, despite being appointed by Musharraf, the Chief Justice has become increasingly independent. He has been accused of misconduct and there have been attempts to dismiss him in shades of the US Attorneys scandal. Musharraf has attemepted to suspend him. Karachi, as well as the main commercial city, is also the breeding ground for political movements in Pakistan. Chaudry has become a cause celebre and focus for a growing anti-government movement for his defiance of the military government and pro-civil liberties decisions.
In advance of the opposition rally, a pro-government party, the MQM, also announced its own rally in Karachi. Al Jazeera in its broadcast reports that the homes of well known lawyers in the city have been attacked as well as those organizing the demonstration (AJ)
Unidentified gunmen shot dead Asghar Ali, 35, and Jahan Zeb, 25, activists from the opposition party of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and wounded another, Azhar Faruqi, the city police chief, said.
All three were involved in making arrangements for Chaudhry's arrival in Karachi.
Also on Saturday, unidentified gunmen shot dead Suhail Qadri, 40, an activist from the Sunni Tehrik religious party that has a long running rivalry with the MQM.
Overnight, vehicles had been hijacked and set fire to block movement.(AJ):
Witnesses said that shipping containers, trucks and oil tankers had been parked on key roads in Karachi overnight, including those leading to the Karachi International Airport.
From the BBC report:
In the worst violence, supporters of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and activists from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto fought gun battles for an hour.
The private Aaj TV channel showed pictures of its office under fire.
"We are under attack," said journalist Talat Hussain on air, sheltering behind a wall.
"We have seen no security force. No-one has come to help us."
Musharraf is speaking as I write this and appears to be taking a hard line. His support for the US in Afghanistan has been his meal ticket. A replacement is quite likely to be sympathetic to the West even if they do not include in this military support. The USA will have to decide whether in the medium term its best interests would be served by continuing to shore up an increasingly unpopular military dictator or to establish good relations with a successor civilian administration.