World outraged and fearful over Bhutto killing

By Matthew Tostevin

LONDON (Reuters) - World leaders voiced outrage at the assassination on Thursday of Pakistan's opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and expressed fears for the fate of the nuclear-armed state.

U.S. President George W. Bush condemned the killing as a "cowardly act" and urged Pakistanis to go ahead with a planned election. Russian President Vladimir Putin called it "a barbaric act of terrorism" that was a challenge to the world.

Prime Minister Gordon Brown said Bhutto had risked everything to try and bring democracy to her country, of which Britain used to be the colonial ruler.

"The terrorists must not be allowed to kill democracy in Pakistan," he said.

Bhutto was killed in a gun and bomb attack as she left a rally ahead of an election due on January 8. The identity of the attacker was not immediately clear, but Islamist militants have been blamed for a previous assassination bid.

"The subcontinent has lost an outstanding leader who worked for democracy and reconciliation in her country," said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of India, Pakistan's giant neighbour and nuclear rival.

"The manner of her going is a reminder of the common dangers that our region faces from cowardly acts of terrorism and of the need to eradicate this dangerous threat."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy called the killing odious.