Mourners pay respects to murdered Afghanistan police chief

Former Afghan foreign minister Abdullah Abdullah, centre, leads mourners at the funeral of police chief General Mohammed Daud Daud, as Afghan leaders appeared to accuse Pakistan of harbouring insurgents behind the suicide bombing that killed one of the most powerful men in northern Afghanistan.

The government also said it was investigating whether security forces had been infiltrated.

Gen Daud, the north Afghanistan police chief, died in Saturday's attack, in Takhar province. Two Afghan police and two German soldiers were also killed.

A spokesman for president Hamid Karzai, said: "No-one in Afghanistan would carry out these attacks.

"All evidence shows that these operations are planned outside of Afghanistan."

Kabul regularly accuses elements of the Pakistani government of sheltering insurgents and providing safe havens.

The spokesman said Afghanistan was suffering because of "the hideouts that these terrorists have and the places where they get mobilised, equipped and plan these terrorist attacks".

The loss of a prominent leader like Gen Daud is a big blow to a force struggling to become more professional ahead of foreign forces handing over security responsibilities starting in July.