Court official slain in Pakistan

Gunmen shot and killed a senior official of Pakistan’s highest court at his home in the capital before dawn today, police said.

Syed Hamid Raza, an additional registrar at the Supreme Court, was killed in a residential area of Islamabad, said Ghulam Mohammed Baqir, a local police chief. The motive for the slaying was not known.

“I can only confirm that Syed Hamid Raza has been killed, and we are still investigating,” Baqir said. However, an investigator told the Associated Press that police believed Raza was killed by robbers.

The slaying came as the Supreme Court was set to resume hearings today on petitions contesting President Pervez Musharraf’s suspension of the nation’s top judge. The March 9 removal of Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry has sparked months of protest, which escalated into violent clashes over the weekend that left dozens dead.

The violence has marked a serious escalation in the crisis over the dismissal, which opposition members say was aimed at easing Musharraf’s bid to extend his nearly eight-year rule.

Musharraf is a key ally in U.S. anti-terrorism efforts in the region.

The protests also heightened fears of renewed ethnic bloodshed in Karachi, a port city of 15 million people that is the hub of Pakistan’s economy.

Some opposition leaders have called for a national strike. In the province of Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital, authorities banned political rallies and declared today a day of mourning.

Rallies in Karachi timed for a scheduled Saturday visit by Chaudhry sparked clashes between supporters and opponents of the government that left corpses in the streets.

Security forces failed to restore order Sunday, despite the deployment of armored personnel carriers and pickup trucks topped with machine guns to patrol the streets.

Funeral processions were accompanied by gun battles and arson, ambulance crews were attacked, and at least two people died in clashes in Karachi.

According to police and hospital officials, the toll rose to 41 dead and about 150 wounded.