World Leaders Condemn Rabbani Assassination of Former Afghan President

World Leaders Condemn Rabbani Assassination of Former Afghan President-World leaders have condemned the assassination of Afghan peace-broker and ex-president Burhanuddin Rabbani, saying the Taliban will not prevail despite a series of devastating high-profile attacks.

Professor Rabbani, who was in charge of peace talks between the government and insurgents, was killed at home in Kabul by a suicide bomber posing as a Taliban messenger.

The attacker detonated a bomb hidden in his turban as he embraced his host in greeting.

United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon sent "heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wounded", underscoring the UN's commitment to "supporting Afghanistan and its people attaining peace and stability and to working in close cooperation with them."

"I am deeply shocked. I condemn in the strongest possible terms this attack on people who were working to bring peace in Afghanistan," said a spokesman for Mr Ban in New York.

Afghan president Hamid Karzai condemned the assassination and cut short his visit to the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

US president Barack Obama described the killing of the High Peace Council head as "a senseless act of violence" and also offered condolences for Professor Rabbani's "tragic loss" as he met Mr Karzai in New York. Mr Karzai insisted the peace process would not be derailed by the death, the highest-profile political assassination in Afghanistan since a US-led invasion in 2001 ousted the Taliban from power.

US secretary of state Hillary Clinton, who like Mr Obama was in New York for meetings in the build up to the United Nations General Assembly, condemned Mr Rabbani's killing "in the strongest terms", pledging to stay the course in Afghanistan.

"We will support the Afghan government as they pursue the ones responsible for this cowardly attack and bring them to justice. And we will continue to increase pressure on Al Qaeda and the Taliban," Ms Clinton said.

"We have always known that there are those who will do all they can to undermine the cause of peace and reconciliation ... we will see more violence before this is over."

"The Afghan people will not be deterred from pursuing a more peaceful, democratic future for their country and we will continue to stand with them and support their efforts," Ms Clinton added.

The Pakistani government swiftly condemned the assassination, describing him as a "friend" with whom Islamabad was working closely on peace efforts.

The statement was released jointly by president Asif Ali Zardari and prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, just days after the United States accused the Pakistani government of having ties to Taliban faction the Haqqani network.