Thousands of Afghans converged on the capital's main mosque today for the funeral of slain Vice President Haji Abdul Qadir, gunned down yesterday in an assassination that rocked hopes of healing the country's woes.
Qadir's coffin, draped in flower-strewn velvet and flanked by two Afghan flags, was followed into the gold and white Eid Gha mosque by President Hamid Karzai and former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, both wearing traditional mufti.
Afghan soldiers and white-helmeted police patrolled the roads leading to the mosque, near one of the most war-ravaged areas of downtown Kabul.
Marksmen kept watch from rooftops, while those mourners allowed in were subjected to strict security checks.
Thousands of mourners thronged the route of the cortege, some weeping openly as the coffin passed.
After the brief ceremony was over, government officials accompanied the body for burial to the eastern city of Jalalabad where Qadir - a former anti-Soviet Mujahideen leader - was once governor and still retained a power base. Qadir's death represents a serious setback to Mr Karzai's efforts to build a stable government capable of leading the country out of 23 years of war towards elections in 18 months time.
He was shot dead by unknown gunmen as he drove away from his office in Kabul yesterday. His driver was also killed and two passengers wounded.
Officials have still named no suspects, but police have arrested 10 security guards who were supposed to have been keeping watch when Qadir was slain.