Pakistan questions seven in car bombing probe

Pakistani police are questioning seven men in connection with last week's car bombing at the US Consulate.

Officers are also trying to determine if they were involved in the murder of Daniel Pearl.

The men are also being questioned about a suicide bombing in May which killed 11 French engineers.

Police say the seven belong to the Sunni Muslim extremist Lashkar-e-Jhangvi group.

The group had been known for attacks against Shiite Muslims, but authorities suspect it may have expanded its targets to include foreigners because of anger over the US-led war against terrorism.

None of the seven has been charged.

However, the officials say the men are being questioned in connection with Friday's blast in Karachi which killed 12 Pakistanis and wounded 50 people.

They are also being held over the May 8 suicide bombing in front of a luxury hotel that killed 11 French engineers and three other people, including the bomber.

US officials had said they believed the attacks were carried out either by al-Qaida or Pakistani extremists, some of whom have close ties to Osama bin Laden's terrorist network.

Police said they were also trying to determine if the seven men were involved in the death of Wall Street Journal reporter Mr Pearl in Karachi. Four men are currently on trial in that case and police are seeking seven others.