In Afghanistan, the funeral ceremony of former President Burhanuddin Rabbani is taking place in the heavily fortified Presidential Palace in Kabul. The body of the departed leader has been brought at the Presidential Palace in a casket draped in the national flag of Afghanistan and kept for paying last respects by the mourners. President Hamid Karzai led the mourners in paying their last respects to the departed leader. Leaders of different political parties, ministers, senior officers, diplomats of several countries also paid homage to the slain leader. After the last rights departed leader’s body will be laid to rest near his home on the top of a hill overlooking Kabul.As a mark of respect for the slain leader three days state morning is being observed. Professor Rabbani was killed at his home in high security Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul on Tuesday by a suicide bomber wearing explosives in his turban. The bomber posed as a Taliban messenger had detonated the explosives as Professor Rabbanik embraced his host in a gesture of greeting. Professor Rabbani was the President of Afghanistan during 1992-1996 and last October he was appointed chairman of the High Peace Council to broker peace with insurgents.