The May 12 bloodshed and the May 14 shutdown have dramatically raised the stakes and narrowed the options for Musharraf, whose attempts to extend his nearly eight-year rule could yet be floored by his suspension two months ago of the independent-minded Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry. Opposition parties and many ordinary citizens are blaming Musharraf and his allies for the bloodshed in Karachi on May 12, when rival political groups held rallies over a visit by the judge to the city, triggering street battles and anarchy. Security forces failed to intervene.

The Japan Times Weekly: May 19, 2007
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