Today two boys, aged11 and 12, have been killed in the turmoil in a Karachi neighborhood, where supporters of Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan opposition leader, clashed with police since morning.

According to police officer Aslam Gujjar, protesters opened fire in the Chakiwara area.

The protesters exchanged fires with police. They were protesting against Bhutto’s house arrest.

These deaths come just as politician Imran Khan was detained, Pakistan was preparing a government to take power and Bhutto remained under house arrest.

Pakistan’s president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said that he held talks with opposition parties in order to form an interim government, but he didn’t give any details.

He said: “We will make sure that the caretaker government contains people of stature, people of a neutral band and those that can perform government functions well,” CNN reports.

On Thursday the mandate of the current parliament expires.

Sherry Rehman, spokeswoman of the the U.S. consul general in Lahore said that Bhutto received a “courtesy call” from the consul, at her house where she has been detained since Monday.

On Wednesday Bhutto called Nawaz Sharif, former prime minister, exiled by Musharraf, in order to discuss a coalition to oppose Musharraf.

“She talked about the need for cooperation by all political parties on a one-point agenda aimed at the restoration of the constitution, lifting of emergency and holding free and fair elections,” said Pakistan People’s Party spokesman Farhatullah Babar.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte is due to arrive in Islamabad this weekend to urge Musharraf to lift the emergency rule.

Musharraf rejected any kind of interference and didn’t say when the emergency rule will be lifted.

He said: “I don’t take any ultimatums from anyone.”

He also said that he used the police and not the army to impose the emergency rule so as not to concern the people.

Musharraf said that Pakistani officials told him to remain in power for the sake of Pakistan’s stability.

“All of them think, yes, indeed, that will lead the country to chaos if we do not handle the political environment correctly now with me remaining as the president,” Musharraf added.