Feb
Pakistan still in turmoil after Bhutto assassination
PHOTO: Pakistan prime minister Pervez Musharraf at the World Economic Forum in 2006, user World Economic Forum’s photos, flickr.
Pakistani lawyers were blasted with water cannons at a rally protesting the detention of Pakistan’s deposed chief justice. The late Benazir Bhutto’s husband led a rally attended by 100,000 supporters and urged them to “save” the country. A suspected suicide bomber killed up to 20 people in Pakistan. And this is just what happened Saturday.
These events point to a worrisomely unstable Pakistan headed toward elections on Feb. 18.
Bhutto’s assassination sparked a whirlwind of accusations that the government led by Pervez Musharraf did not provide enough security for her during her outings.
Musharraf may actually be relieved that she’s gone. Bhutto was always a thorn in his side and his government placed her under house arrest repeatedly. His military-style rule and her rhetoric laced with high hopes for the people never really meshed well.
But elections are around the corner (if Musharraf doesn’t postpone or cancel them. He has had a penchant for doing this in the past) and with them come a lot of questions and anxiousness. Will Musharraf loosen his tight grip on Pakistan? He’s a military man through and through, and his people appear to be tiring of his style.
