Pakistan ? Pakistan’s crisis deepened after two suicide bombings killed 24 people and wounded more than 200 Tuesday in Lahore, and pressure grew for more dialogue with militants as a new government prepares to take office.

It was the first major act of terrorism since former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and slain opposition leader Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party announced over the weekend that they would form a coalition government aimed at reducing the powers of President Pervez Musharraf, a U.S. ally.

With such attacks now spreading from unruly tribal regions to the eastern cultural capital of Lahore, an increasing number of Pakistanis are questioning Musharraf’s approach to countering al-Qaida and the Taliban. Musharraf’s opponents say punitive military action has only fueled the violence.