Islamabad (AsiaNews) - This morning a car bomb packed with explosives struck a market in Peshawar, the capital of the North West Frontier Province (NWFP). The vehicle, parked near shops, contained about 150 kilograms of explosives, a veritable massacre: the provisional toll is at least 90 dead and 200 wounded. Hillary Clinton, U.S. Secretary of State, on official visit to Pakistan, condemned the attack and called on the government to continue its fight against terrorism.  

Local sources speak of a massacre of women and children, the market for Meena, in fact, is popular with mothers because it displays many female articles. The flames originated in the explosion propagated to adjacent shops, burning people trapped inside alive. "There was smoke and flames everywhere ... It was like doomsday," said Musa Kalim, a 22 year old student, who was near the place where the attack occurred.

So far, no one has claimed the attack, but in all likelihood the hand of the Taliban is behind it. For weeks, Pakistan has registered a series of bloody attacks, a fundamentalist response to the offensive launched by government and military on their strongholds in South Waziristan.  

Peter Jacob, executive secretary of the National Commission for Justice and Peace (NCJP) of the Catholic Church of Pakistan, confirmed the climate of fear that reigns in the country. "Extremists attack civilians and military targets, to do the most damage possible."

The condemnation of the attacks was "unanimous" and the nation is "coherent in the fight against terrorism," says the Catholic activist who excludes a "direct link" between the Clinton visit and the carnage today in Peshawar. "Violent attacks are taking place with increasing regularity - he says - and you can not tie them to a single episode."

The Executive Secretary of NCJP confirms that "there may be other attacks in the near future," so it is even more important "that the military operation is a success: we must show solidarity in fighting terrorism and eradicate extremism from the roots" . The Population, the activist adds, is "tired of the attacks and want peace, only a fringe minority, including some madrassas [Islamic schools, ed], continues to support the Taliban." 

Peter Jacob finally stresses the link between the drift of violence that has marked Pakistan in recent times and the blasphemy law, against whom he has launched a bitter struggle. "They are both signs - he concludes - a fundamentalism rooted in the country. Many people and even government officials struggle to find a connection between the two but the bloody events, attacks and persecution against minorities have the same common denominator". (DS)