JOIN USAn eyewitness said the suicide attacker rammed his vehicle into the outer wall of the police station, causing a massive blast. District police chief Dilawar Bangash confirmed it was a suicide attack.
Some policemen and school children were among the dead, police said. The police station was severely damaged.
Pakistan has witnessed a string of suicide attacks over the past two weeks that have killed more than 100 people. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks. They have also warned they will carry out more attacks if the army launches an operation against them in South Waziristan tribal region.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani condemned the attack on the police station and expressed sorrow at the loss of life and property. In separate messages, they expressed their resolve not to be deterred by such acts of terror and said the government remained committed to eliminate extremists and terrorists.