Suicide attack at Pakistan hospital kills at least 25

The bloody attack came as Pakistan's coalition government struggled to find its footing in the aftermath of President Pervez Musharraf's resignation on Monday. Already, clear signs of disagreement were emerging between the two main ruling parties.

The suicide attack on a hospital in the town of Dera Ismail Khan, which lies near Pakistan's tribal borderlands, coincided with the most concerted bout of violence in years in areas abutting the Afghan frontier. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, demanding that the government call off military offensives in the tribal area of Bajur and in the Swat Valley, about 100 miles north of the capital, Islamabad.

Many of those killed and injured at the hospital were visiting relatives hurt in a separate outbreak of sectarian fighting between Shiite and Sunni Muslims in the tribal areas. Some were protesting the death of a Shiite community leader.

Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the fighting in Bajur and Swat, creating a refugee crisis described by some officials as one of Pakistan's biggest internal displacements ever. Government troops have been using helicopter gunships to raid suspected militant hideouts in the tribal areas.

Word of the hospital bombing came as coalition leaders held their first major policy talks since Musharraf, 65, stepped down rather than face impeachment. No signs of consensus immediately emerged on the question of who will succeed him.

And open disagreement flared over the question of reinstating judges fired by Musharraf last year. The junior party in the coalition, led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has demanded the immediate restoration of the previous judiciary. But the Pakistan People's Party, or PPP, led by Asif Ali Zardari, has taken a much more cautious tack, saying many technical issues still need to be resolved before the judges can be returned to the bench.

Musharraf's personal fate remains undecided as well. He said in his resignation speech that he had not struck an immunity deal, though associates had been seeking through back channels to ensure he would not face prosecution for acts committed as president.

Sharif, overthrown in a 1999 coup by Musharraf, has repeatedly demanded that the former general stand trial for treason.

"We cannot forget the crimes he has committed against the nation," said Ahsan Iqbal, a senior official in Sharif's party. Zardari and the PPP have shown far less inclination to go after Musharraf legally, saying it is more important to focus on immediate problems such as the faltering economy and the deteriorating law-and-order situation.

The ruling coalition had intended to cite gross constitutional violations in its impeachment charge sheet against Musharraf. Military chief at the time, the former president last year suspended the constitution during a six-week stint of emergency rule, which is essentially martial law.

Musharraf has also indicated he would like to stay in Pakistan rather than going into exile, but the coalition might find his presence a threat.

laura.king@latimes.com