The New Nation - Internet Edition

AP, Peshawar

Police say at least 12 people are dead after a suicide car bomber struck a security checkpoint in Pakistan's volatile northwest.

Saturday's blast on the outskirts of Peshawar came as Pakistani lawmakers were voting for a new president and underscored the challenges facing the country's leaders.

Top police official Mohammed Sulman confirms the death toll and says other people were trapped in debris when two buildings at a nearby market were damaged. Hospital officials say wounded people were pouring in.

The U.S. has pushed Pakistan to crack down on insurgents in its northwest. The Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for several recent suicide bombings they called revenge for military offensives.

The blast, which occurred on the outskirts of Peshawar, came as Pakistani lawmakers voted for a new president and underscored the challenges facing the country's leaders.

"The checkpoint is completely destroyed," said Habib Khan, a local police official. "The injured are being transported to hospitals in ambulances."

He said a suicide bomber apparently drove the car into the post, but that police were still investigating the circumstances.

A witness, Kamal Khan, said the blast also damaged a nearby market.

Pockets of Pakistan's northwest are considered militant strongholds. In recent weeks, the Pakistani Taliban have claimed responsibility for a string of suicide bombings they have called revenge for military offensives in the region, which borders Afghanistan.

The U.S. has pushed Pakistan to crack down on insurgents.

A recent U.S.-led ground assault on a Pakistani tribal region near the border, however, prompted protests from the government.

Asif Ali Zardari, widower of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, was expected to win the presidency in Saturday's vote. He has vowed to be tough on militancy.