Muslims offer prayers for Bhutto
British Asian reaction
British Muslims have offered prayers for the former Pakistani leader Benazir Bhutto, who was assassinated by a suicide bomber.
Special prayers were said at Birmingham Central Mosque following the usual Friday service.
Worshippers paid tribute to Ms Bhutto as they gathered for prayers.
Mosque regular Dr Mohammad Ijaz said: "She was a popular leader and her father was a great politician. It is a tragic loss of life."
Fellow worshipper Rabnawaz Chughtai, 41, said: "Pakistan's future position is dark now, because we have lost a leader. She represented not just Pakistan, but all over the world."
"We have lost her, but there are more leaders who can hopefully combat that and bring the democracy back."
Most people have been in contact with their loved ones in Pakistan and have been trying to find out what the latest position is
Mohammad Bashir
But Mr Chughtai said Pakistan now needed to get rid of President Musharraf's regime. "He is in the way of democracy," he said.
Mohammad Bashir said: "Benazir Bhutto is a world-class statesman who was renowned throughout the world, not just in Pakistan.
"She was a very charismatic personality and intellectual character. Most people have been in contact with their loved ones in Pakistan and have been trying to find out what the latest position is.
"In most major cities there has been upheaval and unrest."
Mosque chairman Dr Mohammed Naseem urged the people of Pakistan not to let the assassination destroy democracy.
Dr Naseem also called on Pakistanis to remain calm as violence erupted in the country amid fears of civil war breaking out.
Build democracy
He said the country's citizens should "take time to come together and say we are not letting anybody disrupt our process of democracy.
"Destroying property and killing people is senseless. Gun law is not the right law for any country."
Prime Minister Gordon Brown telephoned President Pervez Musharraf to pass on Britain's condolences and support.
Mr Brown urged Mr Musharraf to "stick to the course he has outlined to build democracy and stability in Pakistan".
The country, presently in the clutches of military, is being held at ransom by anti-democratic and terrorist forces
Ishtiaq Ahmed
Bradford Council of Mosques
Salma Yaqoob, Respect councillor for Birmingham's Sparkbrook area, said that Ms Bhutto was a charismatic figure who came to Birmingham quite often where she was "always well received."
She added that many Muslims in Birmingham had families in Pakistan and feared for their safety as riots later erupted in several Pakistani cities in the hours after the assassination.
The Archbishop of Birmingham, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, said the city's Catholic community would also be praying for Ms Bhutto and her family.
He said: "The assassination of Benazir Bhutto is a terrible crime which creates a critical situation in Pakistan.
"We shall also be praying for Ms Bhutto and her family."
In Bradford, where about 70,000 people of Pakistani origin live, the killing was condemned as a "sad day" for the country and a threat to democracy.
'Terrorist forces'
Bradford Council of Mosques spokesman Ishtiaq Ahmed said: "The murder of Benazir Bhutto is a major setback to restoring democracy in Pakistan.
"The country, presently in the clutches of military, is being held at ransom by anti-democratic and terrorist forces."
Bradford was a major support base for Mrs Bhutto's political party, the PPP.
Mohammed Akram, from the Hanfia mosque in the city, said people would be anxious to find out who was behind the killing.
"We're shocked and we're very sad when we heard this news," he told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"She had a lot of supporters in Bradford. In fact, her father had a lot of support and since then she was like a Bradfordian to us."
Earlier, the prime minister condemned the attack as "a cowardly terrorist act designed to destabilise democratic elections".
He told President Musharraf: "The international community is united in its outrage and determination that those who stoop to such tactics shall not prevail.
"This deadly attack is also a potent reminder of the threat we face from terror.
"Pakistan is a major ally in the global effort to combat this menace."
Mr Brown also pledged his support in the "efforts to destroy al Qaeda" during the conversation with Mr Musharraf, Downing Street said.
Foreign Secretary David Miliband called the bombing, which killed about 20 people, a "senseless attack".
The Tories said it was "an appalling act of terrorism" and the Lib Dems called it a "hammer blow" to democracy in Pakistan.
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