Pakistan's business community is braced for a period of instability in the wake of the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, fearing wide-ranging consequences for an economy that had recently emerged as a promising investment destination.

In the days since the killing of the former prime minister and opposition leader on Thursday, rioting across the country has claimed the lives of at least 40 people. Enraged Bhutto supporters have destroyed banks, railway tracks, stations and private property, paralysing commerce and transport.