Pakistan on the Precipice

Yesterday's assassination of Pakistani opposition leader Benazir Bhutto has created shockwaves all over Pakistan and the world. Her assassination should not be too surprising, since Pakistan is a hotbead of Islamic fanaticism and political intrigue. Like Lebanon, nothing seems to get solved. When the former Prime Minister returned to Pakistan in October, there was an attempt on her life while she was parading in Karachi. The suicide bombing failed to kill her but killed over a hundred civilians. Even on Wednesday, the day before she was assassinated, she held a rally where, a fifteen year old was arrested carrying a bomb trying to sneak in to her rally. Islamic Fundamentalists from Al Qaeda and the Taliban have threatened her in the past. Pakistani military hardliners also despised her for attempting to weaken the military's hold of the government.

Her supporters in the People's Party, sadly took the streets in violent protests over the assassination, accusing the government of President Musharraf of not doing enough to secure her. Although Musharraf and Bhutto were political rivals, Musharraf needed Bhutto's political party to compete in the upcoming elections so the elections would look legitimate. Now the elections are in disarray. Nawaz Sharif another former Prime Minister and leader of the Muslim League is already planning to boycott the elections.

Al Qaeda and the Pakistani Taliban are benefiting the most from this turmoil, now that the main secular camps are fighting each other. The government has not been making it easy for itself either by fueling suspicions that it has been covering up her assassination by taking over the crime scene, preventing and independent investigation and coming up with answers that the public let alone the witnesses, did not corroborate.

The situation in Pakistan is becoming increasingly unstable. On Sunday Benazir's son will read out her final wishes, which hopefully will calm the tensions down. Regardless of what happens, there will be continued infighting between the military regime and the moderately liberal opposition. Expect the Islamic Fundamentalists to capitalize and expands its base closer to the heart of Pakistan.