The Loss of Benazir Bhutto

It’s been the number one story across the world and one that many had hoped would never be reported. Benazir Bhutto, former prime minister of Pakistan, was killed by a suicide bomber. Bhutto had just finished speaking at a rally and had made it into her vehicle when the assassin struck, killing at least twenty other people.

Bhutto’s death comes two weeks before scheduled elections where she was a leading opposition candidate. Al-Qaida, along with the Taliban, has declared responsibility for the murder of Benazir Bhutto, and Pakistan officials have stated that they hold evidence to back this claim. However, many of Bhutto’s supporters have blamed President Pervez Musharraf’s government for the attack, what with Bhutto being Musharraf’s most powerful opponent. Back in September Bhutto accused Musharraf’s allies of pushing Pakistan to crisis by refusal to restore democracy and share power- this making her a key ally to the U.S.

In his response to the news of her death President Bush condemned the assassination as a cowardly act and urged the killers to be brought to justice. Bhutto survived the attack on her life back in October when she returned from exile. Knowing what she faced continued to put her life on the line. Offering words of encouragement President Bush said to honor Bhutto's memory by continuing with the democratic process for which she so bravely gave her life. "She knew that her return to Pakistan earlier this year put her life at risk. Yet she refused to let assassins to dictate the course of her country."

Today the interior ministry released a transcript of a supposed conversation between militant leader Baitullah Mehsud and another militant talking about Bhutto’s assassination. “It was a spectacular job. They were very brave boys who killed her," said Mehsud. Never have I found the word “brave” to have been so misused. Brave is how you would describe Benazir Bhutto.

Her memory and the love for her can definitely be seen in the faces of the people who supported her, but their response is probably not in the best fashion. Ransacking banks, waging shootouts with police, burning trains and destroying buses, are most likely not considered to be the must civilized of ways in dealing with death. But who do these people have to turn to? What is their future? Its painful thoughts like these that haunt the people of Pakistan who mourn the loss of Benazir Bhutto.

Earlier post on Benazir Bhutto after the Karachi Bombings