ISLAMABAD - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has met with students, officials and religious leaders in the Pakistani city Lahore during a diplomatic tour aimed at improving the U.S. image.

A day after a car bomb killed 105 people in Peshawar, Clinton urged students at the Government College of Lahore to stand against extremists that threaten to destabilize the country.

Several people asked Clinton what to do about a lack of trust between Pakistan and the United States. She said the two countries now are at a point where they can build a new relationship based more on common interests than differences.

The secretary of state has announced several new foreign aid initiatives during her trip, including $103 million dollars for improving law enforcement and border security, $56 million for Pakistanis displaced by the army’s ongoing anti-Taliban offensives and $45 million for expanding higher education.

American foreign aid is politically controversial in Pakistan, where many people blame the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan for worsening security.

Many of the new aid initiatives are aimed at benefiting Pakistanis who live in the western areas under threat by the Taliban.

Pakistani officials blame Taliban militants for the car bombing in Peshawar Wednesday afternoon that hit a market crowded with women and children.

The massive blast collapsed nearby buildings and set part of a city block on fire. The death toll climbed through the night as doctors struggled to treat more than 200 wounded.

In South Waziristan on Wednesday, where the Pakistani military is continuing an anti-Taliban offensive, officers claimed several strategic successes. A military statement said security forces killed 25 militants in recent fighting and made substantial progress on the offensive’s three fronts.

The military’s claims have not been independently verified. Journalists have been banned from the region.

Source:  VOA News