Pakistan clashes leave 28 dead

The political crisis surrounding Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf deepened dramatically today, when gunbattles and clashes between supporters and opponents of the military-led government left 28 people dead in Pakistan’s biggest city.

The killings in Karachi were the first since Mr Musharraf triggered growing protests by suspending the country’s most senior judge, and further clouded the future of a key ally of the United States.