Graphic: the assassination of Benazir Bhutto

Pakistan was plunged into chaos today after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, the popular opposition leader, just 13 days before a general election that she was well placed to win.

A suicide bomber shot at Ms Bhutto, 54, and then blew himself up next to her car as she left a rally in Rawalpindi. She was rushed to hospital but declared dead at 6.16pm local time.

News of her death sparked riots across the country, with crowds setting fires, burning cars and blocking roads. At least nine people were reported to have been killed and Pakistan’s security forces were put on the highest state of alert.

Q&A: the murder of Benazir Bhutto

Times South Asia Correspondent asks who had most to gain from killing the Pakistan People's Party leader

Multimedia

• Video: Bhutto assassinated

• Bhutto: the background, legacy and life

• Pictures: death of Benazir Bhutto

BACKGROUND

• Pakistan in chaos as Benazir Bhutto assassinated

• Who killed Benazir Bhutto? Main suspects

• Obituary: Benazir Bhutto, 1953-2007

• Can democracy survive Bhutto killing?

Related Links

• Obituary: Benazir Bhutto, 1953-2007

• The Bhutto family tragedy explained

• Benazir Bhutto in quotes

Multimedia

• Video: rioters on the streets

• Video: Bhutto's coffin

• Pictures: death of Benazir Bhutto

• Bhutto: the background, legacy and life

The most likely culprits are Islamic militants opposed to Ms Bhutto’s pro-western stance, but public anger was also directed at President Pervez Musharraf and the security services who failed to protect her. Rawalpindi is the headquarters of Pakistan’s army.

It emerged last night that Ms Bhutto, in an email to a friend, had blamed Mr Musharraf for failing to protect her. She wrote she "wld (would) hold Musharaf (sic) responsible” if she was harmed in Pakistan.

Mr Musharraf blamed terrorists and appealed for calm, but did not say whether the elections planned for January 8, which were was supposed to put Pakistan back on the road to democracy, would proceed or not.

There were reports last night that al-Qaeda's central command had claimed responsibility for the attack.

Al Qaeda's commander in Afghanistan was reported to have told the Asia Times: "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] Mujahidin."

However Nawaz Sharif, another opposition leader, said his Pakistan Muslim League (N) would now boycott the vote and demanded Mr Musharraf’s resignation.

World leaders united in condemning what they called an attack on democracy.

Gordon Brown said Ms Bhutto “risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan and she has been assassinated by cowards afraid of democracy”.

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