South Asia mourns Arafat's death

President Musharraf greets Yasser Arafat in Islamabad, 2000

The death of Yasser Arafat is being mourned across South Asia, a region which has historically supported the Palestinian struggle.

Pakistan and Bangladesh have both declared three days of mourning. Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf called Mr Arafat a "great leader".

Indian leaders have also expressed their sadness, saying he was greatly admired for his courage and sacrifice.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Mr Arafat's absence will be strongly felt.

Special kinship

"President Arafat was the symbol of the Palestinian struggle," President Musharraf said in a message from Pakistan to Palestinian Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei.

The Palestinian people have lost their beloved leader and the people of India share their grief Indian PM, Manmohan Singh

"With the demise of this great leader, an era has come to an end," he said.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz will represent Pakistan at Yasser Arafat's funeral.

General Musharraf said Pakistan, like the entire Muslim world, was in deep shock at the passing of a man who had tirelessly struggled for the rights of the Palestinian people.

Prime Minister Aziz, described Mr Arafat as "a towering personality" whose spirit of sacrifice would remain with Pakistan forever.

The BBC's Paul Anderson in Islamabad says Pakistan has long felt a special kinship with Yasser Arafat, the Palestinian people and their cause.

In 1974, the then Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto took the lead among Muslim nations at a huge Islamic conference in Lahore in recognising the legitimacy of the PLO and Yasser Arafat as its leader.

Our correspondent says many ordinary Pakistanis see echoes of the Palestinian fight for statehood in what they see as the struggle for self-determination in the disputed territory of Kashmir.

They say both are unresolved legacies of British colonial rule from the 1940s.

India's strong links

Indian President Abdul Kalam led his country's condolences saying the Palestinian people had lost "a great visionary whose only ambition in life was to achieve a homeland for the Palestinian people".

Yasser Arafat enjoyed wide support across South Asia

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was saddened at the news and said: "The people of India admire deeply his heroism and commitment to the cause of his people in their quest for a homeland and a State.

"The Palestinian people have lost their beloved leader and the people of India share their grief."

India was the first non-Arab country to recognise the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestinian people.

India has historically supported the Palestinian cause.

However, in recent years it has developed close ties with Israel.

Foreign minister Natwar Singh will lead a delegation from India at the funeral.

'Unwavering commitment'

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Mr Arafat "was a great personality, whose courage and leadership was respected worldwide".

"While his absence will undoubtedly be felt strongly, I hope that a new generation of leaders will emerge to take forward the cause of peace and stability in the Middle East," he said.

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse has told the BBC that he will be attending the Mr Arafat's funeral.

Condolences have also come in from Bangladesh with Prime Minister Khaleda Zia describing Mr Arafat's passing as "a great loss to humankind".

"Arafat's unwavering commitment in the face of force, intimidation and oppression came to symbolise the aspirations of the Palestinian people," she said.

"Under his sagacious leadership, the oppressed and long struggling people of Palestine succeeded in establishing the legality and global recognition of their right to a Palestinian state."

Bangladesh President Iajuddin Ahmed will attend the funeral.

The Bangladeshi flag will fly half-mast on all government offices and many other building during the three-day mourning period.