Supporters of detained opposition leader Benazir Bhutto opened "sporadic gunfire" in Karachi's Chakiwara neighborhood, killing two boys, aged 11 and 12, the media cited a police source as saying.
Bhutto, who returned to Pakistan last month after more than eight years of self-imposed exile, earlier urged all Pakistanis to join a series of protests to demand that President Pervez Musharraf end the national state of emergency, set a concrete date for general elections, and step down as army chief.
But Pakistani authorities, determined to prevent Bhutto from leading one of the protest rallies, have placed her under house arrest for seven days. Several thousand police surrounded Bhutto's temporary residence in Lahore on November 9, setting up barricades and barbed wire barriers, and blocking streets with trucks and trailers.
A wave of anti-government protests swept through various cities in Pakistan Thursday, especially in the southern Sindh province, where the ex-premier enjoys high popularity. Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the protesters, the media reported.
Meanwhile, Bhutto proposed setting up a government of national unity to replace incumbent President Pervez Musharraf before the January elections.
Musharraf, who has been widely criticized for his clampdown on democracy, declared a state of emergency in the country on November 3 and dismissed opposition calls to resign.
