The murder of former Pakistani prime minister Benazir Bhutto is a cruel blow against democracy and order in a corner of the world where both qualities are in scarce supply.
Bhutto, 54, twice served as prime minister of the largely Islamic nation. At the time of her death, she was leader of the major opposition party to President Pervez Musharraf. She was shot Thursday as she leaned out of the sunroof of her bullet-proof SUV to greet supporters, just before a suicide blast that killed at least 20 people at a campaign rally.
Widespread unrest erupted across the country, with many Bhutto supporters blaming Musharraf for the assassination. In fact, though it is too early to affix blame for Bhutto’s death, Musharraf is a highly unlikely suspect. Islamic extremists despise both Pakistani leaders because they are open to progressive ideas and have tried repeatedly to assassinate Musharraf.
When Bhutto returned home 10 weeks ago from exile, largely because of a U.S.-backed power-sharing deal with Musharraf, two suicide bombers killed at least 140 people at her homecoming procession. Despite that bombing and repeated death threats, Bhutto continued to campaign publicly with little regard to her personal safety.
The political reformer’s death added yet another chapter to a long history of family tragedy. Her father, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, who founded the Pakistan People’s Party and served as president and prime minister, was hanged two years after an army coup. Her two brothers were killed mysteriously. She spent years under house arrest and in prison. After serving two terms as prime minister, she fled Pakistan after being charged with corruption and spent eight years in self-imposed exile.
President Bush strongly condemned the attack “by murderous extremists who are trying to undermine Pakistan’s democracy.”
In Islamabad, Musharraf called an emergency meeting to discuss whether to postpone the upcoming parliamentary elections, set for Jan. 8.
Given the current disorder, Musharraf may have no choice but to postpone the impending elections, but should try to reschedule them as promptly as conditions permit. The world cannot afford to let Pakistan, a nation armed with nuclear weapons, plunge into chaos. The democratic processes for which Bhutto gave her life offer the best hope for her country’s progress and stability.
