DUSHANBE, September 22, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Hundreds of Afghans gathered in Kabul yesterday to mourn High Peace Council chief Burhanuddin Rabbani and protest at his killing.

Rabbani, perhaps the most prominent Afghan to be killed since the fall of the Taliban in 2001, died at his home on Tuesday when an insurgent he was due to hold talks with detonated explosives concealed in a turban.

Rabbani was Afghanistan''s most influential ethnic Tajik and his killing is likely to exacerbate ethnic divides.  This may do more to damage peace efforts than the loss of a negotiator who had so far produced limited evidence of steps toward talks.

The BBC reports Kabul was gridlocked as streets were shut off near Mr. Rabbani''s home, where ex-colleagues arrived to pay respects.  Former warlords were among those paying respects, he says, arriving in cars with blackened windows.

Students from Kabul University gathered on a street draped with black banners close to Rabbani''s home and carried signs venting their anger at the government, which they blamed for his death.

“The situation will further deteriorate because of the killings of our leaders,” said Mujeed, a 21-year-old student of political law, from Rabbani''s home province of Badakhshan.  “We have no choice but to arm ourselves and defend the country. This is a plot hatched by the government to get rid of Rabbani, because he was exposing the fact that the government wanted the Taliban to come back.”

There was heavy security in Kabul''s diplomatic zone, where Mr. Rabbani''s house is located, with police searching all those arriving.  Several hundred people, many wearing black headbands, carried pictures of Mr. Rabbani and chanted Koran verses.

Three days of mourning have been announced in Afghanistan for Mr. Rabbani, who is to be given a state funeral.

Some reports say that he will be buried in his home province of Badakhshan in the north-east, others that it will be on a hilltop overlooking his Kabul home.

In the meantime, Khaama Press reports that according to officials, the funeral ceremony of Burhanuddin Rabbani, former president of Afghanistan and Head of Afghan High Peace Council has been scheduled for Friday.

“According to a member of the Jamiat-e-Islami Party, which was ruled and founded by Burhanuddin Rabbani, a commission has been signed for the burial ceremony.  The family and relatives of Burhanuddin Rabbani along with the commission has decided to schedule the burial ceremony on Friday, he said.”

The member of the Jamiat-e-Islami party was quoted as saying the late leader might be buried in hilltop in Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan or inside Kabul University campus.

Khaama Press says a number of high level governmental and non-governmental officials including first vice president Muhammad Qasim Fahim, former Interior Minister Mohammad Hanif Atmar, leader of change and hope party, Abdullah Abdullah, Balkh Governor Ata Mohammad Noor, former Afghan PM, Ahmad Shah Ahmadzai and many members of Wolesi Jirga, on Wednesday gathered at the house of Burhanuddin Rabbani for an hour to pay respect and offer condolence to his bereaved family.

Former interior minister of Afghanistan, Hanif Atmar said, his death was a big loss for Afghanistan and insisted his way should be followed.  He also added, the assassination plan of Burhanuddin Rabbani was made outside of the country, Khaama Press said.

Ahmad Wali Masoud, a prominent politician and brother of the late resistance hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, said Rabbani''s death was a catastrophe that could change Afghanistan''s political landscape.  “Since he could not do it, I''m sure no one else can make peace with the Taliban," he told reporters. "Some people believed he could do something, but now with his death, the (hope of) peace is dead as well.”

No group including the Taliban militants have so far claimed responsibility behind the assassination of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani.

No-one has yet said they carried out the attack and the BBC says it could be one of a number of insurgent groups.

The Taliban deny killing former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani.  The BBC says the Taliban on Wednesday issued their first public statement on the killing, saying they did not want to comment.  Spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said: "Until we receive more information and our information is complete, our position is that we cannot say anything on this issue."