Karzai: We will continue our efforts to reach peace

As Afghans gathered for Friday's burial of the country's assassinated chief peace negotiator, fears mounted that the fallout from a killing that opened old ethnic wounds could go way beyond the derailment of a fledgling reconciliation process.

Former President Burhanuddin Rabbani was the most prominent surviving leader of the Northern Alliance, a group largely made up of ethnic Tajiks, shaped by the Afghanistan resistance against the Soviet Union and civil war.

Karzai insisted the murder would not derail efforts to make contacts with insurgents. "The blood of the martyred [Rabbani] and other martyrs of freedom requires us to continue our efforts until we reach peace and stability," he said at the funeral.

"We will continue our efforts to reach peace which was the wish of martyred Burhanuddin but at the same time, we consider it as our responsibility to fight the enemies of peace with determination.

" His killing came after a string of deaths of other key northerners, including powerful police chief General Dawood Dawood and Kunduz provincial governor Mohammad Omar.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for Rabbani's killing to Reuters, but then in a statement denied that claim. Some blame the government, others the Taliban insurgents, while many are convinced Pakistan was plotting to drive a wedge between Afghans and scuttle Rabbani's attempts to forge dialogue which might have left them sidelined.