The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Washington

World leaders Friday condemned a suicide bombing targeting former Pakistani premier Benazir Bhutto that killed at least 133 people, urging the country to pull together in the face of the tragedy.

The United States, which counts Pakistan as a valuable ally in its "war on terror," said the blasts aimed to stifle freedom in the country but should not be allowed to derail pending elections. Regional powers China and India, the United Nations and the European Union also denounced the attack, which came just hours after Bhutto had returned to Pakistan after eight years of self-imposed exile.

"The United States condemns the violent attack in Pakistan and mourns the loss of innocent life there," White House national security spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. "Extremists will not be allowed to stop Pakistanis from selecting their representatives through an open and democratic process."

Bhutto returned to Pakistan vowing to lead her party into elections due in January after President Pervez Musharraf agreed to drop outstanding corruption charges against her.

Washington has quietly supported moves toward a deal between military ruler Musharraf and Bhutto, seeing an alliance as a way to boost Islamic moderates and step up the fight against Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants.

Australia, another close US ally, said the parade attack bore the hallmarks of Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network.

"It is a reminder of the evil of Al-Qaeda. It is a reminder of how important it is not to concede a victory to them in Iraq or in Afghanistan," Australian Prime Minister John Howard said.

"Benazir Bhutto, to her credit, as well as General Musharraf, have both said they will continue to support the Americans in the war on terror," he said. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer also suggested Al-Qaeda was responsible, as it would have been "deeply offended at the possibility of a woman taking a leadership role in politics in Pakistan in a Muslim country."

China, one of Pakistan's closest allies, urged Islamabad to maintain stability.

"China sternly condemns the explosion. We hope Pakistan will maintain social stability," the official Xinhua news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao as saying.

India, which routinely accuses Islamabad of fomenting an Islamic insurgency in disputed Kashmir, added its condemnation. "The spectre of terrorism confronting our region requires strong and determined action by all our governments," said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.

"It is reprehensible that senior political figures are targeted in this way with such loss of innocent life," he added.

India and Pakistan were to hold talks Monday on efforts to put in place an anti-terrorism mechanism designed to share intelligence on militants.

In Pakistan's neighbour Afghanistan, President Hamid Karzai said the bombing against his Pakistani "brothers and sisters" showed the need for the strongest attention to the fight against terrorism.

"This proves that once again Afghanistan and Pakistan and our international friends must focus the strongest attention in the war against terrorism," Karzai told reporters.