Burhanuddin Rabbani was killed by a suicide bomber on Tuesday
BBC
The funeral of Afghanistan's peace talks chief Burhanuddin Rabbani, killed by a suicide bomber, is taking place in Kabul amid tight security.
Thousands of mourners have gathered in the Afghan capital for the state funeral at the presidential palace, reports the BBC.
Rabbani's body will later be buried on a hilltop overlooking his Kabul home.
Rabbani, the chairman of the High Peace Council, was killed on Tuesday by a bomb hidden in a turban worn by a man claiming to be a Taliban envoy.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai is among those paying respects to Rabbani.
Karzai told the mourners he would continue with the peace process.
"The blood of the martyred and other martyrs of freedom requires us to continue our efforts until we reach peace and stability," he said.
"It is our responsibility to act against those who are enemies of peace."
Servicemen with caps and white gloves had carried the coffin, draped in the national flag, to a dais state outside the presidential palace.
Officials then lined up to pay individual tribute to Rabbani, bowing at the coffin.
Rabbani's son, Salahuddin, told mourners: "Today we are witnessing one of the biggest and saddest events of this important political time in the history of the world."
The capital's diplomatic zone is in security lockdown, amid fears insurgents could try to disrupt proceedings.
Cars were banned from the area and residents and mourners were being searched.
High Peace Council member, Mohammad Ismail Qasimyar confirmed to Agence France-Presse that the president and other high-ranking officials were attending, but added: "I am not allowed to say if there will be any international officials in the ceremony as security is a problem."
The head of Kabul's criminal investigations unit, Mohammad Zahir, said: "We have taken extra measures by deploying thousands of policemen."
No group has said it carried out Rabbani's killing but Afghan intelligence officials say they believe it must have taken months to plan.
The peace council had been in touch with a man purporting to represent the Taliban high command based in the Pakistani city of Quetta, and who said he would send a messenger to Kabul.
The peace council believed it was on the verge of a major breakthrough in peace talks with the Taliban, officials said, and Rabbani cut short a visit to Dubai to meet the envoys.
On Wednesday, the Taliban issued their first public statement on the killing, saying they did not want to comment.
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