The assassination of Pakistan opposition leader Benazir Bhutto sent shockwaves around the world on Friday with Poland ordering extra troops to Afghanistan and other countries vowing new help to battle Al-Qaeda.
Many countries, however, also urged President Pervez Musharraf to keep Pakistan on the path to democracy, despite the killing of Bhutto in a suicide bomb attack at an election rally on Thursday.
At his ranch in Crawford, Texas, US President George W. Bush convened a meeting of his national security advisors to discuss the situation in Pakistan following Bhutto's assassination.
Bush previously called on Musharraf to stay on the path of democracy despite the killing which the Pakistan government said was the work of Al-Qaeda.
"This is a day of great tragedy, great mourning. She was a champion of democracy.
She was a courageous woman," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after signing a book of condolence for Bhutto at Pakistan's embassy in Washington.
At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI was praying for an end to violence in Pakistan after the "brutal terrorist attack" that killed Bhutto, the Holy See said.Meanwhile, Poland will add 400 troops to its force of 1,600 in Afghanistan by April or May as a direct response to the assassination of Bhutto, Polish Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said.
"The destabilisation of the situation in Pakistan and the danger that this instability will expand in the region and to Afghanistan has forced us to reinforce our military contingent," he told Poland's TVN24 news channel.
For their part Britain, France, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain and other countries warned their nationals against going to Pakistan.
Japan told its citizens in the country not to leave their hotels or lodgings.With widespread doubts over whether Pakistan will go ahead with scheduled elections on January 8, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on Musharraf to "build democracy and stability" in talks with the Pakistani leader.
He also offered extra help to combat Al-Qaeda.Bhutto's killing was "a potent reminder of the threat we face from terror," Brown said.A two-time former prime minister, Bhutto was shot at by an attacker before he blew himself up at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, killing at least 20 people.
Bhutto hit her head on her car sunroof avoiding the bullets and died, according to the Pakistan government.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Bhutto's assassination "represents an assault on stability in Pakistan and its democratic processes.
"Pakistan's neighbours, fearing an extremist spill-over if nuclear-armed Pakistan were to spiral out of control, were quick to respond.Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met Bhutto only hours before her death, called the assassination an act of "immense brutality" against one of the Muslim world's leading women.
In Europe, France voiced concerns over the possibility of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of the extremists and the threat to stability across South Asia caused by the killing."That is why we regard Pakistan and the odious assassination of Benazir Bhutto in part as an assassination of democracy... and we must not allow that," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Strong reaction also came from the Muslim world.President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, described Bhutto's murder as "a severe blow to Pakistan's democratic process," expressing hope that democracy and the rule of law be respected in Pakistan.
Turkey, a close ally of Pakistan, said the killing "undoubtedly aims to draw Pakistan into chaos and instability."The International Crisis Group, a conflict resolution think tank, called for a UN inquiry into the killing, saying that the Pakistan government "is not in a position to carry out a fair investigation."
"Given the longstanding connections between the Pakistani military and jihadi groups, this would be the only way to carry out an impartial and credible investigation," it said. US senator and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also called for an independent probe.
Many countries, however, also urged President Pervez Musharraf to keep Pakistan on the path to democracy, despite the killing of Bhutto in a suicide bomb attack at an election rally on Thursday.
At his ranch in Crawford, Texas, US President George W. Bush convened a meeting of his national security advisors to discuss the situation in Pakistan following Bhutto's assassination.
Bush previously called on Musharraf to stay on the path of democracy despite the killing which the Pakistan government said was the work of Al-Qaeda.
"This is a day of great tragedy, great mourning. She was a champion of democracy.
She was a courageous woman," Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said after signing a book of condolence for Bhutto at Pakistan's embassy in Washington.
At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI was praying for an end to violence in Pakistan after the "brutal terrorist attack" that killed Bhutto, the Holy See said.Meanwhile, Poland will add 400 troops to its force of 1,600 in Afghanistan by April or May as a direct response to the assassination of Bhutto, Polish Defence Minister Bogdan Klich said.
"The destabilisation of the situation in Pakistan and the danger that this instability will expand in the region and to Afghanistan has forced us to reinforce our military contingent," he told Poland's TVN24 news channel.
For their part Britain, France, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Spain and other countries warned their nationals against going to Pakistan.
Japan told its citizens in the country not to leave their hotels or lodgings.With widespread doubts over whether Pakistan will go ahead with scheduled elections on January 8, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on Musharraf to "build democracy and stability" in talks with the Pakistani leader.
He also offered extra help to combat Al-Qaeda.Bhutto's killing was "a potent reminder of the threat we face from terror," Brown said.A two-time former prime minister, Bhutto was shot at by an attacker before he blew himself up at a campaign rally in Rawalpindi, killing at least 20 people.
Bhutto hit her head on her car sunroof avoiding the bullets and died, according to the Pakistan government.UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said Bhutto's assassination "represents an assault on stability in Pakistan and its democratic processes.
"Pakistan's neighbours, fearing an extremist spill-over if nuclear-armed Pakistan were to spiral out of control, were quick to respond.Afghan President Hamid Karzai, who met Bhutto only hours before her death, called the assassination an act of "immense brutality" against one of the Muslim world's leading women.
In Europe, France voiced concerns over the possibility of Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of the extremists and the threat to stability across South Asia caused by the killing."That is why we regard Pakistan and the odious assassination of Benazir Bhutto in part as an assassination of democracy... and we must not allow that," said French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Strong reaction also came from the Muslim world.President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, described Bhutto's murder as "a severe blow to Pakistan's democratic process," expressing hope that democracy and the rule of law be respected in Pakistan.
Turkey, a close ally of Pakistan, said the killing "undoubtedly aims to draw Pakistan into chaos and instability."The International Crisis Group, a conflict resolution think tank, called for a UN inquiry into the killing, saying that the Pakistan government "is not in a position to carry out a fair investigation."
"Given the longstanding connections between the Pakistani military and jihadi groups, this would be the only way to carry out an impartial and credible investigation," it said. US senator and Democrat presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also called for an independent probe.
