Female, glamorous, liberal, and secular - many wanted Benazir Bhutto to be the leader of a new, democratic, Pakistan.

Owen Amos asks why she was killed, who killed her - and what her death means for the future of Pakistan

Who was Benazir Bhutto?

BENAZIR Bhutto was the leader of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), a centre-left Pakistani political party. The PPP - the country's most popular party - was due to contest the parliamentary elections on January 8. The PPP's creed is: "Islam is our faith; democracy is our politics; socialism is our economy; all power to the people." If it had won, Ms Bhutto could have become Pakistan's prime minister for the third time - her first term of office was from 1988 to 1990, her second from 1993 to 1996. She was the first woman to lead a post-colonial Muslim state.

President Musharraf, who shares power in Pakistan with the prime minister, was re-elected on October 6.

Who are Benazir Bhutto's family?

LIKE the Nehru-Gandhi family in India, and the Bushes in the US, the Bhuttos are one of the world's most important political dynasties.

Benazir's father was president of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973, and prime minister from 1973 to 1977.

He formed the PPP in 1967. After Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's execution in 1979, the family, including Benazir, were placed under house arrest. Benazir Bhutto succeeded her mother, Nuhrat, as leader of the PPP. In 1985, her brother, Shahnawaz, was killed in suspicious circumstances in France.

Another brother, Mir Murtaza, was killed in 1996, after he campaigned in exile against Pakistan's military rule.

What was Benazir Bhutto's political career?

SHE was allowed to leave Pakistan for the UK in 1984, where she became leader in exile of the PPP.

She returned in 1988, after General Zia-ul-Haq died, and was elected prime minister. She was just 35, and became one of the most powerful, and glamorous, women in the world. She was dismissed as prime minister in 1990 after corruption allegations. She was re-elected in 1993, but was dismissed by the president and the supreme court after more corruption allegations.

Her husband - the multi-millionaire Asif Ali Zardari - has been imprisoned for blackmail and corruption. In 1998, the couple, who married in 1987, went into self-imposed exile in Dubai and England.

When did she return? And why was she popular?

MS Bhutto returned to Pakistan on October 18 - after being granted amnesty by President Musharraf - to prepare for the 2008 election. En route to a rally in Karachi, she was targeted by suicide bombers. At least 136 people were killed, but Ms Bhutto, protected by a human chain and a bullet-proof vehicle, was unharmed. Before the suicide bombing, thousands of her supporters took to the streets. They saw Ms Bhutto - educated at Harvard and Oxford universities, where she was president of the Oxford Union - as the woman to lead Pakistan to a democratic, liberal future. Munib Anwar, a member of the Pakistan Lawyers' Action Committee, said after her death: "This is a very sad day for Pakistan's people and its democracy. She was such a brave woman. The hopes for a democratic Pakistan have been dashed today. She was the one great hope for Pakistan. Where are we now? I do not have any hope for the future."

Who killed her? And why?

AFTER MS Bhutto survived the assassination attempt in October, she accused supporters of the former Pakistani military dictator General Zia-ul-Haq, and Pakistan's intelligence services of being responsible. General Zia-ul-Haq came to power in 1977, after a coup d'etat which ousted then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto - Benazir Bhutto's father. In 1979, when Benazir was 25, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was hanged after being tried on trumped up charges. General Zia-ul-Haq, who is now dead, rejected international calls for clemency. After the attempt on her life in October, Ms Bhutto said: "I know exactly who wants to kill me. They are dignitaries of General Zia's former regime who are behind extremism and fanaticism. We have to purge elements still present in our services. Many went into retirement and then were taken back. Today, they hold much power. For them I represent a danger - if I bring back democracy to the country, they will lose influence."

She led a campaign against General Zia-ul-Haq while in exile, before she became prime minister.

While Ms Bhutto blamed supporters of General Zia-ul-Haq, the Pakistani government, led by President Musharraf, the former head of the army, blamed Islamist militants linked to Taliban and al-Qaida.

Why did President Musharraf declare emergency rule?

THE emergency rule, which began on November 3, was not directly related to the attempted assassination of Benazir Bhutto. President Musharraf called it after ongoing legal challenges to his election as president. On November 28, he resigned as leader of the army, becoming a civilian president. During the state of emergency - which lasted until December 15 - Ms Bhutto was twice placed under house arrest, to prevent attempts on her life.

What next for Pakistan?

PAKISTAN, formed in 1947, has a violent history.

India and Pakistan fought two wars - in 1947-8 and 1965 - over the disputed Kashmir territory. A third war between these countries, in 1971, resulted in East Pakistan becoming the independent nation of Bangladesh. As a result, the army has always had an important political role in Pakistan.

Instability in Pakistan - already used as a base for the Taliban - is bad news for the US. George Bush sees the country as a key ally in the "war on terror", and is keen to foster good relations with a country wedged between Iran, Afghanistan, India, and China. Benazir Bhutto was pro- American.

There are fears Pakistan could face civil war between Islamist hardline groups, the army, and liberals desperate for democracy. Riaz Malik, of the opposition party, Pakistan Movement for Justice, says: "The impact will be that Pakistan is in more turmoil - it will be the start of civil war in Pakistan. There is a very real danger of civil war in Pakistan."

He says the assassination will increase anger with the government, although it was not responsible for Ms Bhutto's death. "There will be a lot of fingers pointed at the government."

On the BBC's website, one reader writes: "This has brought in me the worst fear - the fear of civil war in a nuclear state, Pakistan. I pray that we will not see a civil war. As it is now, the state of Pakistan is already so fragile."