Blasts in two Pakistani cities kill 10 people

Police and security officials gather near the wreckage of a bus which was hit by a bomb attack on the outskirts of Quetta September 18, 2012. Three people were killed and nine wounded after a roadside blast hit a bus carrying pilgrims in the Mastung district on Tuesday, local media reported.

KARACHI, Pakistan (Reuters) - Blasts in two Pakistani cities killed at least 10 people on Tuesday, police said, but the violence did not appear to be connected to protests over a film insulting Islam.

In the commercial capital of Karachi, seven people died and 20 were injured when bombs in a car and a motor bike exploded in a market, said senior policeman Naeem Broka.

The market was not near the U.S. consulate or frequented by foreigners.

In the western city of Quetta, three people were killed and nine injured when a bomb hit a bus carrying pilgrims from Iran, police said.

Sectarian violence is common in Quetta.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, about 2,000 people protested against a film mocking the Prophet Mohammad in the eastern city of Lahore and the border town of Chaman.

Pakistan is home to 180 million people, most of whom are Muslim. The government is fighting against a Taliban insurgency and sectarian and criminal violence is common.

(Reporting By Katharine Houreld)