Pakistan election postponed until February

US's credibitlity has been given a blow by the Pakistani Bhutto inquiry snub

Pakistan has pushed back its general election by 6 weeks to February 18. The desicion comes after the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto last Thursday.

The killing of the charismatic opposition leader has fuelled doubts about stability and the transition to democratic rule in nuclear-armed Pakistan, a crucial U.S. ally in its anti-terrorism efforts.

Pakistan would deploy army troops and paramilitary soldiers to ensure security in the election, President Pervez Musharraf said on Wednesday.

"The army and the rangers will be fully deployed to ensure law and order across the country and for holding elections peacefully," Musharraf said in a televised address to the nation. Rangers are a paramilitary force.

Election offices in 11 districts of Sindh, Bhutto's home province, were burned down in the disturbances, destroying transparent ballot boxes, voters screens, voters lists and other election materials.

Supporters of Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the other main opposition party, led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, had wanted the election to go ahead as planned, fearing a delay would work to Musharraf's advantage.

Bhutto's party would expect to reap a considerable sympathy vote following her assassination in a gun and bomb attack as she left a rally in Rawalpindi on Thursday.

Nearly 60 people were killed in the ensuing violence and, while the situation has now calmed, it remains tense and analysts said a postponement could lead to further rioting. Markets are gripped by fears of capital flight if security worsens.

Bhutto was seen as a U.S. ally and was one of the strongest moderate voices seeking to wrest back influence in the Islamic world from Osama bin Laden and his ilk.

However, the killing has spawned a host of conspiracy theories, with some Pakistanis believing she was killed by rogue elements in the establishment.

Musharraf said he had asked British police for help in the investigation into the assassination. - Reuters