Assassination of Benazir Bhutto will upset Pakistan

ASSASSINATION OF BENAZIR BHUTTO WILL UPSET PAKISTAN

Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao

Pakistan has been undergoing great turmoil for the last few years (1). President Musharraf finally shed his uniform recently after great international pressure and assumed the role of civilian President. The emergency has been lifted that was a marshal law in fact. Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sheriff, both former Prime Ministers were in the arena of elections that are to be held shortly in January. Recently Nawaz Sheriff has been barred from contesting elections and as far elections are concerned his fate has been sealed to return to power. Benazir Bhutto who was prime minister twice was for all purposes were destined to become PM again after the elections. In fact Musharraf came to some understanding of power sharing with her before he shed his uniform. Musharraf has pardoned her off the court cases against her. He made sure that after shedding uniform he was safe from any Government actions against him.
Infact Benazir Bhutto faced severe threats from her critics. Immediately after her return to Pakistan her welcome rally was bombed on October 18, 2007 at Karachi by the terrorists and nearly 140 people were killed in the gruesome act. She escaped unhurt. This it was an indication that her life was in danger. Her critics and opponents openly threatened that they would kill her. Finally the killers could do their job effectively. The attacker struck just minutes after Bhutto addressed thousands of supporters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi, 8 miles south of Islamabad at Liaqat Ali Park on Thursday December 26, 2007. She was shot in the neck and chest by the attacker, who then blew himself up, said Rehman Malik, Bhutto's security adviser. Nearly 20 more were killed in the blast and many more were injured in the explosion. President Pervez Musharraf and his government called on people to remain calm so that the "nefarious designs of terrorists can be defeated." President Pervez Musharraf and his government called on people to remain calm so that the "nefarious designs of terrorists can be defeated."
No one claimed responsibility for the attack. But some of Bhutto's supporters at the hospital began chanting, "Killer, Killer, Musharraf," referring to Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, Bhutto's main political opponent. A few began stoning cars outside. "We repeatedly informed the government to provide her proper security and appropriate equipment including jammers, but they paid no heed to our requests," Malik said (2). It was claimed that sufficient security was not provided by the government in view of grave threat to the leader and Government however claims that it was not true. But an old friend of Ms Bhutto, Salman Tassir, told the BBC World Service he did not think criticism should be directed at the government.
"There have been suicide attacks on Gen Musharraf also," he told Newshour.
"... I mean it is extremism and the fanatics who are to blame.
Nawaz Sharif, also a former prime minister and a political rival, said her death was a tragedy for "the entire nation". (3)
"It is not a sad day, it is [the] darkest, gloomiest day in the history of this country," he said, speaking at the hospital where she was taken. UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he was "deeply shocked" by Ms Bhutto's death and said "extremist groups... [could] not and must not succeed,
Expressing shock at the assassination of Pakistan’s former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that Benazir Bhutto's contribution towards restoration democracy in Pakistan was commendable. “Benazir was committed towards restoration of normalcy in Pakistan” the foreign minister said (4)
Bhutto's death will leave a void at the top of her party, the largest political group in the country, as it heads into the parliamentary elections. It also fueled fears that the crucial vote could descend into violence.. In fact every one expected her to sweep polls and there was world wide speculation that Pakistan would soon step into the shoes of democracy. In Washington, the State Department condemned the attack
"It demonstrates that there are still those in Pakistan who want to subvert reconciliation and efforts to advance democracy," deputy spokesman Tom Casey said.
Assassination of Benazir Bhutto will create a great void in her political party and there is none immediately who could match her stature as a charismatic leader. The relations between the president and Bhutto were also highly strained. The process of restoring democracy in the country has been badly affected. Ms Bhutto poses as a modernizing, pro-Western, secular leader devoted to building a democratic Pakistan and helping the rural poor. Critics say that she believes in nothing but winning power’s Bhutto has gone out of her way to assure the West that she can deal with Pakistan's terrorist threat. In particular, she has pledged to drive al-Qaeda’s core leadership from the tribal areas lining the north-west frontier. Obviously the terrorist outfits such as AlQaeda and Taliban would be craving to eliminate her. With her removal stability of Pakistan is in question now. It is all the more complex as Pakistan has nuclear weapons and Terrorists are aiming to seize them at any cost. The situation has to be carefully watched by international community.
Bibliography

1. Prof Dr Colonel (Retired) K Prabhakar Rao, Pakistan back to square one, Will it ever reach democracy? www.faithcommons.org, November 05, 2007, 09:54

2. Sadaqat Jan and Zarar Khan, Associated Press Writers, Pakistan’s Bhutto assassinated at Rally, Yahoo news, http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071227/ap_on_re_as/pakistan

3.BBC news, Benazir Bhutto killed in attack, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7161590.stm

4. Benazir was committed to democracy, Times of India, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Benazir_was_committed_towards_democracy_India/rssarticleshow/2656117.cms