Parliamentary elections in the southern Afghan province of Kandahar, due to be held on Saturday, will be delayed by one week following the assassination of the powerful provincial police commander, officials said on Friday.

Hafizullah Hashimi, spokesman of the Independent Election Commission, said the decision to delay the vote had been taken because the people of Kandahar were "morally not ready to vote" following the death of the commander, General Abdul Razeq, who was killed by a rogue bodyguard of another top official on Thursday.