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| Pakistan: Peshawar car bomb kills dozens | |
| (about 13 hours later) | |
| A car bomb devastated a street in the Pakistani city of Peshawar on Sunday, killing at least 42 people and piling yet more pressure on politicians proposing to open peace talks with Islamist militants. | |
| It was the third attack in the troubled capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in a week, with scores of wounded people once again flooding into the city's over-stretched hospital. | It was the third attack in the troubled capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province in a week, with scores of wounded people once again flooding into the city's over-stretched hospital. |
| The blast wrecked Peshawar's historic "Story Tellers" bazaar, toppling a two-floor building and gutting several shops. | The blast wrecked Peshawar's historic "Story Tellers" bazaar, toppling a two-floor building and gutting several shops. |
| A spokesman for the main city hospital said at least 107 people were wounded, Reuters reported. The dead included at least 15 members of a family who had come to the city from a nearby village to make wedding arrangements. | |
| A bookshop owner, Nazar Ali, had just opened his shop when the bomb went off. | A bookshop owner, Nazar Ali, had just opened his shop when the bomb went off. |
| "It was a huge blast that was followed by fire in vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the air and splinters spread all over. I saw people lying dead and bleeding all over," he said. | "It was a huge blast that was followed by fire in vehicles. Thick black smoke covered the air and splinters spread all over. I saw people lying dead and bleeding all over," he said. |
| The historic street was the scene of a notorious incident in 1930 when British soldiers opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds. | The historic street was the scene of a notorious incident in 1930 when British soldiers opened fire on peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds. |
| The attack occurred a few hundred metres from the scene of a double suicide bomb attack the previous week, which killed 82 members of the city's Christian minority as they milled around a church courtyard after the Sunday service. And on Friday a remote-controlled bomb planted in a bus carrying home employees of the KP government killed 18. The upsurge in attacks comes just weeks after leading political parties agreed to pursue peace talks with militant groups. | The attack occurred a few hundred metres from the scene of a double suicide bomb attack the previous week, which killed 82 members of the city's Christian minority as they milled around a church courtyard after the Sunday service. And on Friday a remote-controlled bomb planted in a bus carrying home employees of the KP government killed 18. The upsurge in attacks comes just weeks after leading political parties agreed to pursue peace talks with militant groups. |
| Critics have attacked the initiative for not laying down any terms and militants have vowed to continue fighting as long as the Pakistani army continues its operations. | Critics have attacked the initiative for not laying down any terms and militants have vowed to continue fighting as long as the Pakistani army continues its operations. |
| The wave of recent attacks has added fuel to the controversy, with many commentators questioning whether the militants have any interest in dialogue. | The wave of recent attacks has added fuel to the controversy, with many commentators questioning whether the militants have any interest in dialogue. |
| The country's most senior politicians remain determined to stick to the plan, however. In an interview this week, Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister, said his government would "explore the option of resolving this problem through peaceful means." | The country's most senior politicians remain determined to stick to the plan, however. In an interview this week, Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister, said his government would "explore the option of resolving this problem through peaceful means." |
| He also laid down preconditions for talks for the first time, saying militants must disarm and would have to accept the constitution of a country they regard as fundamentally un-Islamic. | He also laid down preconditions for talks for the first time, saying militants must disarm and would have to accept the constitution of a country they regard as fundamentally un-Islamic. |
| Sharif's remarks earned him a rebuke on Saturday when a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said his comments shows he was "following the police of America and its allies". | Sharif's remarks earned him a rebuke on Saturday when a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said his comments shows he was "following the police of America and its allies". |
| "We will hold talks with [the government] only when it gets the real power to take decisions," he said. | "We will hold talks with [the government] only when it gets the real power to take decisions," he said. |
| Imran Khan, the politician who controls the provincial government of KP, has also refused to back down from his calls for peace talks. | Imran Khan, the politician who controls the provincial government of KP, has also refused to back down from his calls for peace talks. |
| He has suggested the attack on Peshawar's Christians was part of a conspiracy to derail peace talks, prompting many people to accuse him of apologising for militants. | He has suggested the attack on Peshawar's Christians was part of a conspiracy to derail peace talks, prompting many people to accuse him of apologising for militants. |
| Khan also called for the Pakistani Taliban to be allowed to set up a political office in the country, modelled on an internationally backed scheme to give the Afghan Taliban an office in the Gulf state of Qatar. | Khan also called for the Pakistani Taliban to be allowed to set up a political office in the country, modelled on an internationally backed scheme to give the Afghan Taliban an office in the Gulf state of Qatar. |
| Khan has long argued that much of the militancy wrecking the country will end if the country takes steps to stop US drone strikes in the tribal areas and ends Pakistan's support from Nato's efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan. | Khan has long argued that much of the militancy wrecking the country will end if the country takes steps to stop US drone strikes in the tribal areas and ends Pakistan's support from Nato's efforts against the Taliban in Afghanistan. |
| On Sunday officials said a US drone strike in North Waziristan killed three militants. North Waziristan is a hotbed of militant organisations, including the Haqqani Network, which is well known for carrying out major attacks inside Afghanistan. | On Sunday officials said a US drone strike in North Waziristan killed three militants. North Waziristan is a hotbed of militant organisations, including the Haqqani Network, which is well known for carrying out major attacks inside Afghanistan. |
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