PRIME Minister Gordon Brown has joined international condemnation of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, saying she had been killed by "cowards afraid of democracy".

He said the former 54-year-old Pakistan prime minister had shown "immense personal courage" and vowed to continue to fight terrorists at home and abroad.

Ms Bhutto was shot in the neck and body by a suicide bomber who then blew themselves up as she was driven from the rally in the city of Rawalpindi.

Suspicion immediately fell on resurgent Islamic militants linked to al Qaida and the Taliban who hated Ms Bhutto for her close ties to the West and support for the war on terror.

In a statement, Mr Brown said: "This is a sad day for democracy; it's a tragic hour for Pakistan.

"My condolences go to the whole of the Bhutto family, including her children, and to all who have lost their lives today.

"Benazir Bhutto was a woman of immense personal courage and bravery. Knowing as she did the threats to her life, and the previous attempt at assassination, she risked everything in her attempt to win democracy in Pakistan.

"And she has been assassinated by cowards afraid of democracy.

"Benazir Bhutto may have been killed by terrorists but the terrorists must not be allowed to kill democracy in Pakistan and this atrocity strengthens our resolve that terrorists will not win there, here or anywhere in the world and we will work with all in the Pakistani community in Britain and elsewhere in the world so that we can have a peaceful and safe and democratic Pakistan."

The killing has also been condemned by a UK-based Pakistani group.

Taimur Rahman, of the UK-based National Union of Pakistani Students and Alumni, described the killing as an "unprecedented national tragedy".

He said that although the attack bore the hallmarks of religious fundamentalists there was bound to be fury toward President Pervez Musharraf's regime, particularly from the poor who saw Ms Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party as their champion.