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INDIA : India has ordered its border forces to maintain a "high state of vigil" after the assassination of Mrs Benazir Bhutto raised the spectre of chaos in Pakistan spilling over to its neighbour.
Experts warned that the killing by a suspected suicide bomber could be another nail in the coffin for permanent peace in the region.
The Indian government has strongly condemned the assassination of the former Pakistani leader by a suicide bomber.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called it a "cowardly act of terrorism".
"This great tragedy is once again a reminder to all of us of the great harm that terrorism can do to the peace and prosperity and well being of our region. We all have an obligation to work together, to deal with this menace which threatens the ways and living of civilised people all over the world," said PM Singh.
The chief of the ruling congress party, Sonia Gandhi, whose politician husband and mother-in-law were both assassinated, has conveyed her condolences to the Bhutto family.
"This reprehensible and cowardly act which has brutally cut short a life full of promise and potential deserves to be strongly condemned by civilised society," said Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance.
Many Indians have also expressed their regret.
"She was a great woman and was very open-minded with regards to our country. Her death will definitely have an effect on India as he shared many common views with our leaders," said an Indian national.
Mrs Bhutto's death triggered a wave of violence across Pakistan, especially in her native Sindh province. It could lead to the postponement of parliamentary elections scheduled for January 8.
The polls were meant to stabilise a country wracked by violence, and free it from the clutches of the military.
Analysts in India expect Mrs Bhutto's death to heighten demand for a return to civilian-led democracy in Pakistan.
"In her death, she may realise that what she was trying to do all her life, which is to send the Pakistani military back to the barracks," said Uday Bhaskar, a security analyst in India.
Political observers expect the assassination to have little impact on the fragile peace process between India and Pakistan.
"What will be significant is how General Musharraf and the military deal with the immediate fallout of Mrs Bhutto's killing," said Bhaskar.
For India, the main concern is that instability in Pakistan may spill over the border, and lead to increased militant attacks in Indian-ruled Kashmir or more bomb blasts in Indian cities.
There were several bombings in India this year which security officials blame on Pakistan-based terror groups.
Even as India's border forces maintain a "high state of vigil", analysts are urging the government to reassess the country's security needs and take a tougher stance against Pakistan.
The experts want the authorities to tailor their policies to take better stock of developments in South Asia, and address what they call inherent regional insecurity. - CNA /ls
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