By KUNA
Islamabad : Pakistanis mourned on Friday the death of Benazir Bhutto, the Muslim world’s first female leader and Pakistan’s first female prime minister.
Her body was flown to her hometown, Larkana, in the southern Sindh province early Friday where she is to be buried near the grave of her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, after the Friday prayer.
In yesterday’s suicide bombing in Rawalpindi, about 26 people including Bhutto were killed and another 90 were wounded.
President Musharraf, who termed the killing as a “great national tragedy,” has announced three days of mourning. Meanwhile, her party has announced a mourning of 40 days.
This is the second suicide attack that Bhutto came under since returning home in October from self-imposed exile, and her death has sparked countrywide violent protests.
Army personnel have been deployed at all airports and sensitive locations around the country to avoid any untoward incident. A red alert has been signaled across the country.
According to police sources, more than 15 persons were killed in violent protests in Sindh, Bhutto’s stronghold, and Punjab provinces.
Angry and mourning protestors set ablaze bank buildings and several government offices in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, Multan, Hyderabad and other cities.
Bhutto was the main opposition candidate in the forthcoming general elections. Her death is likely to delay elections.