The assassination of Benazir Bhutto has plunged Pakistan's press into outrage and despair, with many papers fearing for the future of democracy in the country.

There are also appeals for the people and politicians to remain calm and to pull together for the sake of national unity.

The shock at the murder is shared in neighbouring India, where there is also concern that terrorism "is now lodged in the heart of Pakistan".

We believe the murder of Benazir is the death of democracy. Her assassination should not be used to delay the election [on 8 January] and the democratic process. We think all the political parties should join hands to evolve a combined strategy to steer the country out of the crisis.

The killing of Benazir is not only the worst failure of the security forces, but it has also strengthened the impression of a failed state. This is the most tragic incident for the country as well as for the entire Muslim world.

The entire country is drowned in shock. We believe the killing of Benazir will be felt most in Sindh province. We appeal to the people of Sindh to pray for the country and control their feelings.

In this testing time, we appeal to the political leaders and workers to demonstrate patience and maintain peace at any cost.

We pray for eternal peace for the departed soul of Benazir Bhutto and patience for her husband and children. We also pray that the activists of the Pakistan People's Party keep their feelings under control.

Thinking about the coming days sends a chill down one's spine. The fundamental question is who did this to Pakistan? ... It is important that we stand united as a nation.

Her death, unbelievable and stunning for everyone, throws the entire political edifice, the painfully excruciating march of the country towards a democratic polity up into turbulent smoke and bloody dust.

Benazir Bhutto's assassination is an enormous tragedy not just for Pakistan but also for all of South Asia... This is not a routine assassination, because it snuffs out whatever faint hope there was of free and fair elections early next year... Terrorism is now lodged in the heart of Pakistan.

Benazir Bhutto's only fault was that she returned to Pakistan from her self-imposed exile to contest the elections. But the very prospect of the return of democracy would have unnerved the extremist elements in Pakistan... It is doubtful whether the Musharraf regime has the will or the ability to bring the extremist forces under control.

For Pakistan, the implications of this assassination will be felt for many years to come. The Benazir assassination is only more evidence that what Pakistan needs most of all is stability and democracy. But it also indicates how difficult it will be to achieve this.

With this body blow to democracy in Pakistan, what is clear is that epic struggles lie ahead for its hard-pressed people... Her death illustrates in stark relief the failure of Pervez Musharraf's regime, which continues to be underwritten by the United States, to confront al-Qaeda and Taleban-linked religious neoconservatives.

The murder of Benazir Bhutto has driven home one single point: Pakistan has fallen off the edge... It seems impossible now for elections to go ahead in the foreseeable future.

BBC Monitoring selects and translates news from radio, television, press, news agencies and the internet from 150 countries in more than 70 languages. It is based in Caversham, UK, and has several bureaux abroad.