Grenade attack on Pakistan cinema showing porn kills 12 people

A triple grenade attack on a cinema showing pornography in northwest Pakistan killed 12 people yesterday as government and Taliban negotiators met for a second round of peace talks.

It was the second such attack within two weeks on a cinema in the city of Peshawar, which has been on the front line of Pakistan's Islamist insurgency.

The attack came as negotiators representing the Pakistani government and Taliban militants met for a second time as part of efforts to end the bloody seven-year rebellion.

After the meeting in Islamabad the chief negotiator for the Taliban, hardline cleric Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, said the two sides had proposed a ceasefire "to make the atmosphere for talks more conducive".

Peshawar city police chief Mohammad Ijaz Ahmed said three grenades were used in the attack and up to 80 people were in the Shama cinema at the time.

The cinema is known for showing explicit erotic movies as well as regular films.