Hundreds of mourners wept today as villagers buried victims of a horrific suicide bombing at a Pakistan election rally, an attack that killed 27 people and stoked fears about security ahead of next week’s crucial parliamentary election.

A suicide bomber struck today at an election rally in north-western Pakistan, killing at least 14 people and wounding more than 20, officials said.

Election officials recommended today that parliamentary polls scheduled for January 8 be delayed for an unspecified period following unrest triggered by the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto.