Pakistani police release photo of Karachi bomber

By Kamran Haider

KARACHI (Reuters) - Pakistani police released a photograph on Saturday of a suicide bomber who killed at least 139 people, as opposition leader Benazir Bhutto worked out her next step after the bloody start to her comeback campaign.

The militant threat demonstrated to such devastating effect in Karachi on Friday raised fears over the prospects for a national election due in early January that is supposed to mark a transition from military-led to civilian-led democracy.

Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said the general election would not be affected but government officials had indicated that campaigning could be restricted because of security worries.

Newspapers carried photographs of the head of the suicide bomber propped on a white sheet. The dead eyes stared blankly out of a chubby, unshaven face.

"The age of the suspect is between 20 to 25 and he looks to be a Karachiite," said a security official, who declined to be identified.

Police said at least 139 people were killed in Friday's attack and 325 were wounded. On Saturday, a car bomb killed four people in the southwestern province of Baluchistan.

Suicide bombings have multiplied since the army stormed the Red Mosque in the capital Islamabad to crush an armed student movement in July.

The United States and its allies want to see elections go-ahead in nuclear-armed Pakistan in the hope that a moderate, pro-Western government will emerge to fight the al Qaeda and Taliban threat and help Western forces stabilise Afghanistan.