Pakistan Violence Results in 30 Deaths

By Philip Reeves,

Jacki Lyden

Published May 12, 2007 at 4:00 PM AST

A Pakistani opposition party activist cries in pain from a bullet wound during clashes Saturday in Karachi.

In Pakistan on Saturday, pro- and anti-government demonstrators clashed in the city of Karachi, leaving 30 people dead and more than 100 wounded. Gunfire erupted in several parts of the city.

The violence was prompted by a visit to Karachi by Pakistan's chief justice, a man President Pervez Musharraf suspended from his office two months ago in what critics of the government say is a battle over judicial independence.

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Philip Reeves

Philip Reeves is an award-winning international correspondent covering South America. Previously, he served as NPR's correspondent covering Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India.

Jacki Lyden

Longtime listeners recognize Jacki Lyden's voice from her frequent work as a substitute host on NPR. As a journalist who has been with NPR since 1979, Lyden regards herself first and foremost as a storyteller and looks for the distinctive human voice in a huge range of national and international stories.