Suicide bomb tears through Pakistani city of Peshawar just hours after peace talks with Taliban are delayed

• Attack came after authorities failed to turn up for peace talks with Taliban
• Nine people were killed and 30-40 injured, including some young children
• Blast ripped through hotel popular with Shiite Muslims and near a shrine

Nine people were killed today when a suicide bomb ripped through a hotel in Peshawar, hours after the Pakistani government failed to show up for peace talks with the Taliban.

Devastation: Police officials and rescue volunteers inspect the site of a suicide bomb blast at a hotel popular with Shiite Muslims in Peshawar, north-west Pakistan, where nine people were killed and 30-40 injured

The hotel popular with Shiite Muslims in the north-western Pakistani city was left a mangled mess of broken concrete, twisted metal and bloodstained furniture by the night-time blast.

A number of very young children are among the 30-40 people estimated to have been injured in the attack, which happened just yards from a Shiite mosque.

Suspicion is likely to fall on Sunni Islamic militants who view Shiites as heretics, although the Pakistani Taliban denied any involvement the bombing.

It came after authorities fouled up peace talks with the Taliban when their negotiating team failed to show up for a meeting set to take place in the capital, Islamabad.

Maulana Samiul Haq, a Pakistani cleric picked by the Taliban to represent them, claimed that the Pakistani government had bowed to American pressure to avoid the talks.

'We waited for the government team today, but they did not come,' he told reporters.

A child injured in the suicide bombing is treated at a nearby hospital: The attack came after authorities fouled up peace talks with the Taliban when their negotiating team failed to show up at a meeting in Islamabad

The child grimaces as a paramedic applies dressings to her wound: Maulana Samiul Haq, a Taliban negotiator, claimed that the Pakistani government had bowed to American pressure to avoid the talks

Medics hold down a screaming child as they attempt to treat his injuries: A member of the government's team claimed his side were waiting for the Taliban to confirm the identities of their negotiators before the meeting

A member of the government's team claimed his side were waiting for the Taliban to confirm the identities of their negotiating team. Rahimullah Yousufzai said that now confirmation had been sent, they were ready to meet.

'We did not meet with the representatives of the Taliban as we needed some clarity from them,' he said, adding: 'now we have received that clarification and the meeting will take place in the next two days.'

A man stands in the morgue of the Lady Reading hospital by the body of a relative who was killed in the attack

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been pushing for negotiations over military operations to end militant violence in the country, where over 40,000 people in recent years have been killed in acts of terrorism.

Authorities blame most of the deaths on Pakistani Taliban.

Experts say militants began their campaign of violence in retaliation for the government throwing its weight behind the U.S.-led war in neighboring Afghanistan, as well as trying to meddle in the affairs of tribal areas.

The violence has put pressure on Mr Sharif to use force to put down the insurgency. In an apparent move to avoid any such operation, Pakistani Taliban recently agreed to the peace talks.

Security officials and rescue workers stand at the site of the bomb blast: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been pushing for negotiations over military operations to end militant violence in the country

Residents call rescue workers for help: Experts say militants began violence in retaliation for the government supporting the war in neighboring Afghanistan, as well as trying to meddle in the affairs of tribal areas

Over the weekend, the Taliban named a five-member committee, including ex-cricketer Imran Khan, to represent them in talks with the government.

Mr Khan, whose Tehreek-e-Insaf party runs the government in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Taliban's tribal strongholds, says the Taliban should select its own members as representatives.

He is strongly pro-negotiations and has led a campaign against U.S. drone strikes targeting militants in the northwest.

A man injured in the attack stands near the scene: More 40,000 Pakistanis have been killed in acts of terrorism in recent years, with most of the deaths blamed on militants linked to the hard-line Pakistani Taliban

In a statement, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Shahidullah Shahid, prayed for the success of the talks. 'May God help these people in this noble task,' he said about Mr Haq and other Taliban negotiators.

Critics say several such peace initiatives in the past failed and only strengthened the militants.

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