Up to 30 people were killed and scores others injured in clashes between rival political groups in the Pakistani port city of Karachi Saturday as the suspended chief justice arrived in the city, TV channels reported.

Pakistani Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao confirmed deaths of 17 people in the clashes.

Private TV channels ARY and Aaj put the death toll between 27 and 30. They reported that around 80 people were injured. Most of the injured received bullets.

Reports quoted Faisal Edhi, an official of the Edhi ambulance service, as saying that many injured were laying on the roads and they could not be taken to hospitals as the authorities and armed groups had blocked roads.

Firing broke out between activists of the ruling coalition Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and other opposition groups in different parts of the city, as Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry arrived in the city in the afternoon to address the lawyers.

But Chaudhry was confined at the airport for eight hours as the official protocol cars, which were supposed to take him to the city, could not reach the airport because of the closure of roads.

Sources said that officials met the Chief Justice at the airport and suggested him to go in a helicopter to the building of Sindh High Court, where he was scheduled to address lawyers. But he refused to do so.

Opposition groups had announced to accord warm welcome to the chief justice, who has emerged as symbol of resistance since his suspension on March 9.

Tension gripped the city after the government allied group MQM also announced to hold a counter rally against the opposition parties on the same day.

Witnesses said that more than 20 vehicles, both official and private, were burnt in different localities. Several petrol stations were also burnt by armed men, who took control of most parts of the city.

Pakistani President General Pervez Musharraf has called an emergency meeting with the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz over the Karachi killings. Important decisions would be taken in a high level meeting, according to the private Geo TV.

However, earlier Saturday, Musharraf categorically stated that there was no question of imposing emergency in the country and urged the nation to stand united and peaceful.

"There is absolutely no requirement and absolutely no environment for taking such drastic measure so these undercurrents must stop," Musharraf told the official APP news agency.

Source: Xinhua