ISLAMABAD, April 10: President Pervez Musharraf on Thursday called upon lawyers to stop spreading anarchy as tensions flared in the country just days after a new government took office.

Violence broke out in parts of Karachi on Wednesday after pro-Musharraf lawyers clashed in a court in which five people were killed in shooting while six charred bodies of lawyers, two of them women, were recovered from a building housing lawyers’ chambers after it was set ablaze.

“I appeal to the lawyers not to spread anarchy. Law and order should be maintained,” Mr Musharraf told journalists before departing for a five-day visit to China.

Mr Musharraf has become growingly isolated since his allies suffered crushing defeat in Feb 18 elections.

Tensions have been running high in the country in recent days after Mr Musharraf’s opponents thrashed two of his close allies.

“I strongly condemn all these incidents. We should adopt civilised behaviour,” Mr Musharraf said. Hundreds of lawyers shouting “Go, Musharraf go,” rallied in Lahore and Rawalpindi.

—Reuters